This next series of blogs is going to come in four parts. They are going to walk you through my experience of my month is Swaziland. It was an extremely hard month as my team walked through brokenness. I invite you into the process.
God’s love for us is full of hope. That’s one thing I’ve had to remind myself of this month. The anger, hurt, and hopelessness I’ve felt this month has tried to tell me otherwise.
As I sit holding a child covered in dirt, wearing the same clothes as the days before, I know God’s hope is there.
As I hold and embrace a child who has soiled themselves, I know God’s hope is there.
As I whisper “God loves you” to a child who has just been kicked, pushed, or slapped, I know God’s hope is there.
As I see children walking around and playing in the dirt naked, I know God’s hope is there.
As I clean off feces from my clothes and body after holding a child, I know God’s hope is there.
As I rock a child to sleep with pink eye and scabs all over her face, I know God’s hope is there.
As I rub the back of a child with a fever, I know God’s hope Is there.
As I tickle the bulging tummy of a precious child, I know God’s hope is there.
You hear and read stories of children like this but to be in the midst of it, truly seeing the neglect, there are no words. You feel righteous anger because your heart is hurting to the same beat as God’s. You feel hopeless because what in the world can you possibly do? But that is just the thing. God doesn’t always want us to do or fix, sometimes He just wants us to be present in the pain. Sometimes God just wants us to love and spread His hope.
