“i love him”
On a national holiday, only one student showed up to class. This student is particularly meticulous, paying great attention to detail. He is somewhere around age 10, has a quirky personality, and really makes me laugh.
My co-teacher Erin, this student, and I were working on a long and short vowel sounds sheet. Erin took this opportunity to ask him a question:“ Do you know who God is?” He briefly looked up from coloring a section of his paper with a blue pencil, and without skipping a beat, he replied, “I love Him.”
He didn’t reply with a simple yes. He replied by sharing his love for his Heavenly Dad in such a pure, innocent way. Then, he went right back to coloring, as if loving and being loved by the Lord is a simple truth. There is something so beautiful about that.
all smiles
The tuk-tuk pulled up and the students piled in one by one. We were heading to Ezra Library Café for a field trip to read some books, hand out some awards, and eat some ice cream. Chocolate ice cream. Everyone was buzzing with excitement.
As we pulled away from the school, my eyes fell on two brothers. These boys, who were usually a bit rowdy and always talking and laughing in Khmer, were quite quiet. Their eyes were wide and sparkling, and they wore smiles from ear to ear.
We passed by shops and temples, and weaved our way through Cambodian traffic, and all the while they were just watching, looking, and pointing.
Then, it hit me hard.
They have probably never had an experience like this.
When we read books they were joyful and attentive, reading along with us and asking for help with words. When we handed out awards they beamed with pride and showed the award to their friends (even though they all looked the same). There were “thank yous” all around when we handed out the ice cream. These kiddos truly blessed me with their gratefulness, and they gave me a much needed reminder about my own heart posture that day.
