Our last week at the care point in Swaziland I met this sweet little girl named Nottie.
She had a very stoic look on her face. She wouldn’t talk, smile, or even move.
I spent the entire day trying to get this girl to crack a smile. I tried everything.
Eventually I gave up and decided that just sitting together in silence was all she needed.
As the hours past she made more and more progress. I could see the light beginning to shine in her eyes. She gradually went from standing in front of me, to sitting beside me, to finally sitting on my lap. She stayed there for most of the day. She fell asleep there, she ate her beans and rice there, and most importantly she became my friend there.
After hours of sitting together, she began to talk to me a little and smile. She even laughed once! YAY!!! What a breakthrough from where she started.
But the day was coming to an end and I had to peal this little baby off me. I felt so sad leaving her but I knew I would be back the next day.
When I saw her the next day, we were back to square one— only worse. She wouldn’t even look at me this time. If I tried to hold her hand she would pull away from me. I spent about 20 minutes just sitting next to her with my hand outstretched and she wouldn’t even look at me. It was heart breaking. I could tell all she really wanted was to be loved but she wouldn’t allow herself to let me love her. I was so hurt. But then I began to think— This is exactly how God feels.
He sits next to us day in and day out with his hand outstretched towards us but we choose to ignore him. We decide that we don’t need him and can’t trust him. He knows how much we are hurting and need him but we choose not to let him in. Thankfully he never gives up on us.
Please pray for Nottie and her heart. I don’t know all the details of this little girls life but I do know she has lived a hard one. She has been through a lot in her 6 years. I pray that she sees Jesus’s hand outstretched towards her and takes it. I pray that she realizes how much he loves her and that fills the void in her life that has been empty from her earthly parents.
