New Years day I was sitting outside soaking up the day, having some restful time alone (which is rare) when this little girl, probably about 8 or 9 with dark skin and a head full of braids came bounding up to me and started talking to me about everything under the sun.
She asked me why I talked funny (thanks to the lack of a South African accent) why I had a drawing on my hand, and if I knew of any cool pranks she could pull on her parents. (I may or may not have advised her to put salt on her moms toothbrush)
She asked me where I lived and I told her I was from America but I was here for three months. Immediately she perked up and asked to see my shoes. I had no idea what my shoes had to do with anything but I complied and went inside to fetch my smelly sandles. When I returned with them in hand she took them from me and after a quick examination her face fell. They werent light up shoes. (Apparently a credential of an American is that we all have light up shoes) after further questioning about my other pair of shoes, and the discovery that they were also boring non-light-ups, she dropped the subject and quickly wound up another string of questions.
She asked me why I was here and I told her I was on a mission trip and before I could elaborate her eyes got real wide and she leaned in and asked if I had collected any gadgets overseas. (Being a lover of souvineers and nicknacks I felt a bit called out by this little inquisitive gal) I asked her what kind of gadgets she was talking about and to my surprise she replied with a list of things I’d barely heard about such as earrings that doubled as secrete guns or sunglasses that could shape shift into top notch weapons. I laughed a little and told her no, I didn’t carry any weapons. She looked at me with a little bit of disbelief and asked if I even had a gun, to which I genuinely replied, no, I don’t have any kind of gun or knife or anything. She now looked very confused and asked how I could possibly be on a mission without a gun or even fancy sunglasses.
Then it all made sense, she thought I was an agent in the FBI or secrete services or something way cooler than I actually was. I had just refused the perfect opportunity to tell a really awesome story about how I actually was a part of a top notch mission and might even secretly be Wonder Woman in hiding, darn, maybe next time.
I told her about how my mission wasn’t one with undercover duties or fancy badges and bad guys but it was a mission of sharing Jesus with everyone I met and showing love to the unloved. She perked up again and told me she had Jesus in her heart and she really likes to love people.
After some more chit chat she turned to go when she zipped back around and looked me dead in the eyes.
“Are you a robot?!”
She asked with a little too much serious in her tone. I burst out laughing and assured her I was a real girl just like her. She told me I had a robot sound and insisted on checking up and down my back for a battery pack, after coming up unsuccessful in that area she still had some doubts and told me to be super super sure, I had to drink some water to prove I was for real. I gave in and walked her to the kitchen and poured a glass of water and chugged it down. She was finally convinced. As much as I wanted to pretend to sputter out and malfunction due to mechanical water damage, I resisted the urge and she gave me a hug bye, told me she would see me in 2000 minuets (however long that is) and skipped off back to her bungalow.
As crazy as it all was, that whole encounter brought me so much joy and laughter. She didn’t know it but she reminded me what its like to live a life of spontaneity and whimsy. Childlike faith is so underrated. No question is too bizarre, nothing is impossible, and loving someone is as easy as interruputing their quiet time and having a joyful conversation with them. Something I desperately am chasing is a life lived with an interruptible spirit. To live with the agenda of loving others, rather than my agenda of getting things on my to-do list done. That would be a life worth living every second of.
