It is like clock-work; at 4:00 p.m. every day, my favorite little boy moseys down the dirt road for English class. In a matter of just a few days, this precious boy, Chi-Chi, has managed to steal my heart. From the first moment I saw him, I was drawn to him. He has the smallest little frame, the most perfect little teeth, and the saddest little eyes. He’s two years old, but carries hurt and pain from a lifetime of living. He is hesitant; a keen observer. He is always off to the side, just taking it all in. His face registers no emotion; it is like a blankness has swallowed him whole. But most importantly, he is desperate for love. He comes from a broken home; one marked with alcoholism and emptiness. And the effects of this brokenness are written on this sweet boys face.
When we first met Chi-Chi, he was distant to say the least. He just watched us; he would turn away if you tried to approach him, and before long, he was walking the streets. And yet, the next day when we arrived at the church, he was back. Still on the sidelines, just taking it all in. However, day by day, he became a little more comfortable; he would let us rub his back without walking away. And then one day, I just picked him up, and held him close. At first, he was a little unsure, and then he gave in; he put his sweet arms around my neck, put his head on my shoulder, and fell asleep. I could have held his warm body forever.
When he woke up, we fed him empanadas bite by bite, and I think, slowly, he began to trust us. Leaving Chi-Chi that night was hard; the reality of the brokenness of this world felt so dark and personal, and my heart hurt for this precious boy. It just didn’t seem fair. And I questioned if we could really make a difference. When we leave, this little boy will still have a dad that spends their money on alcohol. He will still be hungry. And in the midst of all of the questions, I was bombarded with clarity. We are here to love like Jesus, and that’s what we are doing for Chi-Chi. In Mansions of the Heart, R. Thomas Ashbrook writes:
“But Scripture tells us that our care for the suffering is intended to be more than human compassion; it is the work of God in and through us. It was God’s love for all of us that prompted the coming of Jesus: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son’ (John 3:16). Jesus says to us that He sends us in the same way the Father sent Him. It is not some obligation to save the lost that is the true motivation of evangelism, but the love of God working in our hearts.”
So that is what we are doing for Chi-Chi. We love him because Christ loved us first, and the love we experience, spurs us to love those around us. And that love, that fierce, unconditional, relentless love, is changing this boy. He smiles now. He willingly sits on your lap. He even laughs. He is a new creation. That is the power of Jesus’ love as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come.” So amidst all the brokenness in this world, there is hope. There is hope because love restores.
