This past week, God has used a few very special children to speak really profound things to me. And these children are children beloved by their Father, Maker, and Creator, and that have seen and know in personal and impersonal ways the ugliness and pain of sin being in this world. Our God is a God that takes our ashes and gives us beauty. He takes whats left from us being burned voluntarily and involuntarily by the pain and ugliness of sin and gives us beauty. This is our God.
This afternoon, I went with Jenny B. and Jessie to laugh, talk, love, and just be with this awesome foster family. The foster family of one of these really profound little children, beloved by Jesus. And after a little sing off and some tea, we were prayed with this family…and then as the prayers were drifting off into silence…we hear this sweet little voice saying, “Father God, You are above all things. There is none like you. We love you.” I was awestruck. How does a child who has been through so much say that?
Afterwards, as we we spent some time at the closing bonfire, this sweet little one said, “Jane can I speak with you?” I was taken aback and felt like I was in trouble. She said to me, “Jane are you leaving tomorrow?” Yes, I said. She covered her eyes with her hands. “Jane are you going to America tomorrow?” No, I said, we are going to Alabanza (a campus like Refilwe). Silence. Are you sad, I asked. She took her hands away from her eyes and wiped the tears in her little eyes. “Yes”, she said. Heavy sigh. I’m going to miss you, I say, but do you know that Jesus loves you? “Yes”, she said. Do you know that He thinks you are beautiful? “Yes”, she replied. Then she said “OK” and then scampered off to be her beautiful, spunky little self. And I sat there just floored. God how do I do this? How am I going to be saying these goodbye’s every 11 months, every week?!
Leaving here is believing that “Father God, You are above all things. There is none like you. I love you”. I trust the Lord with each precious little soul that I came across this week. Leaving and saying goodbye is trusting Jesus with them.
