//Month 3, El Salvador//
One morning I was helping in the Baby House helping get the little children ready for breakfast when I heard Annie, a little 2 year old, crying because one of the other girls had done something to her. I went over and picked her up only to find out she had pooped her pants as it squished onto my arm. Let’s just say…it wasn’t pleasant. When a child who is not your own nor related to you poops on you, it’s just a whole other ballpark and I really wanted to express how grossed out I was, but I took a moment to ask Jesus what He wanted to do in this situation and I heard Him say, “love her.” Okay, Jesus, show me how.
The usual procedure for poopy pants is to take the child to the bathroom and splash the poop off of them with a bucket of water. It was already time for breakfast and using a bucket would have been way faster, but as I carried her to the bathroom, I decided to give her a full shower instead. As I splashed the poop off and soaped her up, I began singing bath-time songs to her just like I would have with my little sister. We were having ourselves a good time when one of the older girls walked in and looked at us with a confused face. She said, “Aren’t you grossed out?” and was shocked when I smiled at her and said, “No.” I didn’t look at her and see a poopy child, but a child that Jesus desperately wanted to love.
As I finished showering and dressing her, I swooped her up in my arms and hugged her as I spun her around. And that’s when I heard the most beautiful sound from heaven: her laugh. It was the most precious sound you have ever heard and the first time I had heard it. You see, Annie came to Remar Children’s Home having been abused and she didn’t trust people easily nor let them hold her right away. You usually found her off to herself and pretty solemn, even if playing with another child. In that moment, I realized I was there, if for nothing else, to hear her laugh. That moment right there is why I am on the World Race. It was beautiful, pure, and full of joy. It was not a glorious, grand ministry scenario, but real ministry was happening nonetheless. Jesus chose a water well, a fishing dock, and a sycamore tree to show His love to people. Why wouldn’t He choose to use a poopy shower to do the same? In the moment you would like to back away because you think it is too much, or even too little, choose to step into it and ask Jesus how He would like to use you to love someone through the situation. Those moments are the most rewarding.
Something else I learned through this moment was that Jesus can call me to love Annie despite of her poopy diaper BECAUSE he loves us despite of our messes, too. When he picks us up, he is not grossed out because our pants are too messy, but he chooses to love us beyond our stink because he sees the beauty of who we really are, not our poopy pants. How beautiful and humbling is that?
Thank God for all of our poopy showers!
*Name changed to protect the innocent.
**I currently need another $4,500 by my next deadline to finish the Race. Would you pray about partnering with me as I continue sharing Christ’s love all over the world? Thank you!
