This month we're assisting in a small orphange in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Every day the orphange has HaPpY hOuR! An hour of devote interation with one baby, play play play! My friend (or “he”as this blog will refer to him for confidentiality reasons, there also won't be pictures from this month) and I were on a mat full of toys during happy hour. I thought I was doing everything I could to get this 5 month old to calm down but all efforts failed. He just….kept…..whimpering.
BUT THIS IS HAPPY HOUR I thought. WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO BE SAD DURING HAPPY HOUR. WHHHHHYYYYY!
It had already been 15 minutes that felt like 45 and minutes were growing in length, I'm sure of it. 'Time to brainstorm – what makes a baby happy? What did you learn in child development class? You were a child development concentration….use your education.' Nope, got nothing. Everything I already knew I tried. So I sat there seemingly defeated until I thought to sing a worship song. 'Well…songs didn't work, but maybe if I sing about Jesus it'll calm him down.' The first one that popped in my head was “Dance with Me“. I started with the lyric, “Dance with us, oh Lover of our souls” and without any hesitation he, already holding my hands trying to stand, grabbed them tighter, instantly stopped crying, and moved his hips like Elvis. The two of us danced for awhile (about 10 seconds, quite impressive for baby world) and he was the happiest I'd seen him all day. Then he plopped in my lap and was at complete peace the rest of the hour.
There is power in the name of Jesus.
Esta bien Jesus Cristo.
Touche.
