Now I’m not placing myself in the position of God or claiming to be like him, for we all know that I fall infinitely short of that. I saw a lot myself in this child, and through my time with Scampe I saw a lot of who God is as well. When we first arrived at the carepoint and were beginning to meet the kids Scampe was quiet and reserved. She kept her distance but was watching us from afar for a few weeks not sure what to make of us. Over time she began to grow more and more comfortable with who we were. It started with her allowing us to hold her hand or rub her back, still with a silent stare. Overtime our relationship with her progressed to a point where we could push her on the swing and occasionally hold her. While we were showing her this affection we noticed another side to her. Every time we would show attention to another child she would come running and shove the other kid out of the picture and force her hand into yours. The attention that she once watched from afar was now something that she wanted for herself and did not want to share. This was still a common thing seen with her as the weeks moved on but as relationships tend to go we also were getting to know her in many other ways. While four out of six of our team (including myself) were sick and stayed back from ministry, she spoke for the first time to us. She poked her head in the window while they were inside eating lunch and said,” Hi! How are you?” . While I wish I could have been there to see that moment it was a sweet story to hear from the girls once they got home that afternoon. Over the next few days we got her to speak more and more and with that came something glorious. Her laugh. A true belly laugh came from putting aside what society deems as acceptable and doing something silly and childlike. Overtime she became our buddy, still slightly aggressive at times to other kids, but we loved her all the same. She loved reviewing our names and beamed when she got the right. Her attitude towards us during our time there showed me how passionately and how relentlessly the father pursues us.
I came to this realization one night lying in bed almost a week after saying goodbye to our beloved carepoint, which is where I am writing this from now. This child that had oddly stolen my heart in such a strange way had revealed to me glimpses of Gods character in light of who I was. She watched us from afar at the beginning not sure what to make of us. Her curiosity brought her to come closer and take a deeper look. A deeper look at the fathers relentless love.
When we find that kind love, that hope, that endearing attention, that sense of purpose, and sense of importance we cling to it. Clawing at it like our life depended on it, our selfishness revealed often willing to push all others aside. It is only through knowing the father and pursuing after Him that we begin to learn how to walk in His love. His relentless pursuit of us is completely independent from our response.He chases after us when we respond with a silent stare from afar, when we are curious and begin to pay attention, when we begin to step into his love, when our sin gets in the way, and when we fully grasp as much as our limited mind physically can what His love is. He loves is just the same. He pursues us throughout the whole journey, not partially, but fully and without hesitation. The joy the Lord must feel, the rejoicing that must take place in heaven when our hearts show signs of softening.
When we begin to step into who he has made us to be and start viewing ourselves as beloved children of God, we begin to see just how glorious our King is. We jump into his love and just keep falling because their is no end to his love. There is no end to his compassion. There is no end to any part of God’s character because He is never ending. Our father pursues us regardless of if we want to be pursued, he loves us regardless of it we feel loved or if we think we deserve love. How wonderful, how beautiful is that picture? We are chosen we are loved we are His. He wants us to see his love for what it is pure and true.
Getting to know Scampe was challenging but if the joy that I felt at the end of my time seeing her open up was even a fraction of the Lords joy when His children run after Him, that challenge was well worth its work. How great is the Fathers love for us, He calls us beloved children!
