What makes you come alive? Rejuvenates your soul? What brings life to your bones? Gets you jazzed?
As I sat in the Taipei airport over a month ago, Aimee asked me these questions. Besides the obvious answer, hanging out with Jesus, I could only think of one thing: CHILDREN. After pondering the question a little more, things began to flow through my mind: exercising, going on adventures, exploring, building relationships, creating, traveling, music, hard labor (building things, tree trimming, etc…thanks dad!), etc. Yet, in the midst of all these things, CHILDREN continued to flash through my mind.
pool time with two of my nephews before heading to Thailand…
just look at them. WHOOSH, my heart if full!
I'm drawn to them…VBS time in Haiti this past June
I do not quite understand it because kids can be quite tiring. My entire body can be physically exhausted, while the rest of me is overflowing with JOY. I can run around for hours playing games, pretend to be mom for my niece and 3 nephews, all under the age of 7, for a few days, stay up late at night with a sick one, change poopy diaper after poopy diaper, soothe a crying child for hours, and walk away completely refreshed.
Yesterday was one of those days, where I became refreshed in a way that has not yet happened here in Thailand. It was due.
saw some familiar faces around the slums…picture taken December 2011
I had the opportunity to go to the slums, minutes from the Red Light District, and simply love on kids. As we approached the street, memories came gushing back. Just 10 months ago, I had been in this same place loving on these same kids. It was quite surreal.
5 girl pile up on John (a.k.a. Santa)
We went with a man named John (known as Santa to them) who has been living here for the past 3 years and previously served with FBR. When we came upon the basketball courts, a handful of children were there. Two little girls walked towards us. As soon as I asked this 10 year old girl her name, she clung to me like a magnet. I was hers. We walked back by their homes that were slabs of signs pieced together to form siding. King, my little 10 year old, prepared a place for us to sit while we ate a feast that John had brought. As I sat on this dirty tarp watching the kids cheerfully eat, I felt right at home.
rocking the asian pose with King
It did not matter that the ground was muddy or that my jeans got dirty. I was not bothered as King laid her head on me while she ate, drank drippings falling on me. I was fine when she gave me a love tap with her greasy chickenfied hands mixed with sticky mango juice. I was ok having my sweat sneak through my shirt as I ran around with two girls hoisted on my back. Nothing mattered except these precious ones.
Who would not love a double piggyback ride with these beauts?!
We played, played and then played a little more. When it was time to go, my heart had been captivated once again. In that moment, I was reminded of His great LOVE. I mean God loves me so much that He would surround me with children to bring life back to my bones. He knows us, what makes us tick. In those moments of desperation, fatigue He provides us with that person to go hiking with or a project to create something with our hands or a note to sing to. Right and left, He is sending things, people our way to breathe life back into our bones.
I am grateful that Aimee asked me those questions back in Taiwan so God could remind me what He has placed deep within me. So here I am to remind you to take time to enjoy the things that ignites your bones. It is time for you to be rejuvenated!
