When I was little I was always afraid of getting lice. I remember a classmate once getting it and getting sent home and thinking “That would be embarrassing I don’t EVER want lice!” Somehow by the grace of God I made it through my school days lice free.
But now at the age of twenty-four the day has finally come and gone folks,
I. Got. Lice.
It was a sad moment for me. One minute I’m playing games with a group of girls, the next Megan is looking at my hair saying, “I think you might have nits.”
I thought I had made it out of Cambodia without it, but alas it somehow got me and followed me into Thailand. I was frustrated, grossed out, and annoyed at the thought of spending so much time doing laundry, washing my hair, and sitting for an uncomfortable amount of time letting Megan pick out all the nits and a few bugs she could find.
As I’m sitting there I’m thinking of how frustrated I am, but then I reminded myself, “You said you would be happy to get lice if it meant you loved the kids well” and I think I have loved well. I’ve hugged kids tighter then ever, washed and brushed the lice out of their hair, gave them a smile, and played games with them.
Soon my frustration turned into laughter, My annoyance into happy thoughts, and my grossed out feeling into thankfulness.
It made me so thankful that I have the opportunity to do this race. I have the opportunity to love kids in ways that they have never been loved, to hug them like they have never been hugged before, and to make them feel like they matter to someone in this world.
If all of this means that I am going to get lice nine times out of ten then I am willing to take the risk of getting it over and over again.
