A great philosopher once noted: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to take a look around once in a while, you might miss it.” Mr. Bueller was right. There are so many lessons we can learn, simply by observing what we see around us.
Observing what we see is key. Thanks, Sherlock
About a week ago, both of our teams were walking back from the local market. One in our group had a plastic bag of apples and a pastry swinging at her side. Up ahead, we could see a Roma (politically correct term for a Gypsy) woman and three pantsless and adorably grubby toddlers walking toward us. Being the slowest walker in the universe and a lifetime member of the people-watching society, I was far enough back to watch the whole scene unfold.
The kids were smiling as they began to pass our group. It was probably a novelty to see 13 Americans flocking the streets of their village. When the kids passed by the bag of apples, the mother turned to them and swatted the oldest (who could not have been more than three). She began to shout angrily at the little girl as she pointed to the bags swinging helplessly at my squadmate’s side. The child’s mother was scolding her for not snatching the food.
The next day, I walked to the church with my teammate and saw the same woman and the same girls up ahead. I never leave the house with anything placed anywhere that could be easily grabbed, so I wasn’t concerned with theft. As we got closer to the girls, I couldn’t help but wave and say hello with a goofy smile on my face (I miss all my little people friends back home, so it’s pretty much an uncontrollable impulse at this point).
At first the young girl smiled and began to wave back. For a split second, she was an innocent child. Her face quickly and suddenly became covered in panic. She looked up to her mother, then back at me. I could see the tiny little wheels turning inside her tiny little head. She ran up to me and grabbed at my pockets.
I looked down at her and kept walking away as I gave her a sad “no” and wave of the finger. Partly for survival and partly because generations of Roma families have been teaching their toddlers to do take, this is what these children do.
On the way home from church, I witnessed another scene. A small boy of about seven, usually sweet natured and always asking (never grabbing) for what we have, was smacking and berating his friend. It wasn’t friendly play or a case of “boys being boys”. It was the type of violent outburst that is only learned by example. It was as if I was watching an angry and belligerently drunk adult man acting out in a child’s body and I could very clearly picture the scene from the child’s home that he was re-enacting.
It would be very easy to be annoyed and angry at these kids and to brush them off as a nuisance. But all of those things that they do –the violence, the stealing- that’s not who they are. It is what they are taught and who they are told that they are to be. They grow up, fully believing it and, in turn, pass down that identity to the next generation. It’s heartbreaking. And also serves as a heartbreaking example of what goes on in our lives as well.
How many things do we believe about who we are simply because we were taught, in words or in actions, to believe them. How many generations have passed down lies about our identity? Perhaps neglect or abuse in childhood left you thinking you’re not worth protecting, perhaps generations of infidelity leave you thinking you’re not cut out for a committed and loving marriage, or perhaps an impossibly-demanding job and perfectionist parents paint your identity with a strong hue of being a disappointment. And perhaps all of these things guide your steps into actions or habits that perpetuate this false identity. You get the idea.
Those things, all of those thing, are not who we are. It’s what we learn, partly out of survival, and partly out of the “traditions” of our family’s past generations and circumstances. These things can often dictate our beliefs about who we our and lead to destruction in our lives. I would like to reiterate- THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE.
Stuart Smalley wants you to remember.
All sin and all fall short of the glory of God. This is fact.
When I look at these children, I don’t see violent thieves. I see heartbreak. I see generations of people believing these lies and I get angry. Not at the children, but at the ones imposing the lies upon them.
And, for a second, I feel like I can sort of understand how the Lord looks at us. He doesn’t look at us and see violent thieves. He sees his kids. And I’ll bet His heart breaks. And I’ll bet He gets real angry at the one who puts the lies upon us.
Church lady knows.
If you’ve got any lies that you’re believing about who you are, here are some good reminders from a really Good Book about who God says you are:
Romans 8:37-39 “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God.”
We are more than conquerors and unable to be separated from Love.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
We are God’s workmanship, created with and for a purpose.
John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go bear fruit – fruit that will last”
We are chosen and chosen for a purpose.
A friendly reminder from your favorite dead lion.
Our time here in Draganesti is almost at an end, but I will continue to pray for this village and the children who live in it. In just three short days, we head to Bucharest for team changes and preparations for India! On November 1, we will board a plane to Asia. Please be praying for a smooth transition and even smoother travel as we make our way to a new continent and culture.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support!
Love,
