Yesterday, I sorted trash and named a baby.
As I worked at the HIV/AIDS clinic and served them in any capacity I could, I never imagined sorting trash would fall under that category. But as two other girls and I sorted paper, plastic, and food scraps out of trash piles and trash cans, I was reminded, “ Jesus would do this.”
The Lord was the ultimate servant. He loved the least of these and was friends with prostitutes and those that some deemed as unworthy to be loved. As I sorted the trash of the people who have been unaccepted by today’s society because they are seen as unclean, I had to remind myself that this is what Jesus would do. He loved everyone regardless of his or her health status or any other defining characteristic. He loved unconditionally. He was a servant and he has called me to be a servant. I serve him in whatever capacity I can, whether it be sorting trash, scrubbing floors, or pulling weeds. He meets me there and teaches me more about His humble, loving heart.
One of my favorite things about God is that He knows us from the inside out. He sees our hearts and knows our motives and desires. I also know that when we serve the Lord and rejoice in our suffering that he sees it, recognizes it, and rewards it. He uses other circumstances to love on us and encourage us. And that is exactly what he did for me. I was a little disappointed after sorting trash because at the time, I struggled to see the love of God in the work, but he took the opportunity to love and encourage me later that evening and remind me of his goodness, even in the trash. He is the beauty amongst the ashes.
Later that evening, six of us went out to do house visits. Included in our group were Grace, Kayla Norwood, Taylor, MC, JoJo, and myself. We drove about 45 minutes to the slums where we had been invited by a few families to pray for them and hear their stories. As we pulled up to these houses, surrounded by animals and trash, the children immediately started waving and blowing kisses to us. I was overwhelmed with joy because they were so full of joy. My joy increased as soon as I saw the small baby one of ladies was holding. I immediately asked our leader if I could go and hold the baby and he head bobbled. I’m still working on the Indian head bobble; it typically means yes, however, it is a combination of the American yes and no head nod and therefore it is slightly confusing. Anyways, we parked the van and got out to go to our first house. We entered the house that we had been invited into by the 16-year-old daughter of the household. They were a Christian family and had just witnessed a miracle from God; he had healed the mother of dengue fever. We prayed, worshiped, and encouraged them. We then went next door to an elderly woman’s house. We prayed for her, encouraged her, and listened to her story. As we went from house to house, more and more children began to follow us. We started with one little boy and eventually had 6 children following us around. While we were in the woman’s home, it began raining; not just rain but full-on monsoon rain. After we finished praying with the elderly woman, our leader asked if I still wanted to hold the baby, and of course I said, “ Oh, Yes!!” So we made a barefoot dash to the family’s home through the pouring rain. Once we entered the one bedroom home, our leader explained that I had seen the baby earlier and asked if I could hold him. The family said, “Of course!” As soon as the mother goes to hand me the small infant, the power goes out. We all quickly pull out our flashlights and light up the room and the mom hands me the sweet baby boy. The mom then asks us to pray for the baby, because he has had several colds and is only 3 months old. As we began to pray for the smallest, most precious three-month-old baby boy I have ever seen, I was overwhelmed with joy, love, sadness, and peace all at once. While we are praying the mom said something in their native language, and our leader translated it and told us that the mom has asked us to name the baby a biblical name because he has yet to be named. Of course we said yes and began to pray that God would give us a name for this sweet baby. We prayed for a few minutes and then I asked if anyone got anything… immediately JoJo and MC both said “Joshua” and Grace and I both said “Ezekiel.” So we named him Joshua Ezekiel!
We continued to pray and prophesy greatness into this little boy’s life. It was one of the greatest moments of my life thus far. MC, Kayla, and I stayed with the family, played with the children, and held the baby while the others visited another house. While we were visiting with them, they offered us tea, juice…anything we could have wanted. They were generous when from the outside, it looked as though they had very little (by my standards, at least). This is when I realized that India doesn’t need me; I need India. This family had welcomed us into their home. They gave us the honor of not only holding their baby but also naming him,. They offered us anything and everything they had and asked for nothing in return. When I saw this place, I pictured them having nothing and quickly came to realize: they had everything they needed—Jesus! I came to this country to share the love of Jesus and ever since I got here, this country has been sharing the love of Jesus with me. It is through all of the individuals that I have met that I have learned of the character of God and the depth of His love for his children. I found God in the eyes and tiny fingers of Joshua Ezekiel in a home, in a slum, in the dark and I never wanted to leave!
Thank you God for giving me the honor and opportunity to share your love in this world and in turn grow to know your character more intimately. Thank you for allowing me to take part in naming a baby! Thank you for knowing my heart and meeting me where I am to encourage and support me!
Thank you to everyone who read this story! Please keep baby Joshua Ezekiel in your prayers! Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout this journey!
Love,
Gabbie 🙂
