Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom
They have nothing but love and curiosity for you, they don’t care how much you weigh or that your hair’s a mess or that your skin isn’t tan. They don’t see your flaws as if that was the only thing about you, they look at all the love you have for them and the joy that you want to share. They don’t judge you because you don’t speak their language and they still want to hold your hand even if you are super sweaty. Your heart will break when they look you in the eye with that big missing two front teeth smile as your translator tells you that the mother left him and his brothers to marry another man and the father is sick, so often the oldest brother who is 14 helps take care of them. Yet every day you see him and his brothers have nothing but huge smiles on their faces and are filled with such joy. When the translator says that it is sad he is poor, and you want to scream “NO!”
Your living conditions may be poor but you are not poor, you are RICH…. with love and joy and passion for those around you. You are so rich with the love of the father. You are a son of God and no one can take that away from you. You can work hard, you can be kind, you can enjoy life. Not because of the amount of money you have in your pockets or the countries you may or may not travel to, but because you were made perfectly to bring joy and laughter to this world. Your circumstances do not define who you are nor does the pain you go through mean you are doing something wrong.
In John 11:1-21 We read about how Lazarus was sick and how the Lord knew that he would die and that He would bring him back to life. Jesus knew that He could heal Lazarus before he ever died, but he also knew that there was value in the reward that came after the pain. As Jesus arrived 4 days after Lazarus died, both Mary and Martha different in personalities had the same response to the pain of losing their brother. “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Neither of the sisters could see the healing that was coming or the greater impact it would have. Jesus gave no explanation of why but showed that He had a reason: to demonstrate His power over death and that through hardship we grow.
I praise the Lord for the compassionate heart that He has blessed me with. Even though I can’t fix anything and I can’t take them with me, but I can tell them every day that they are so loved, that in the mist of turmoil and hardship know that your circumstances are only that, circumstances, they do not define you and no matter how “poor” you may be. Know that you are always rich in the love of the father and your family and friends care for you.
It’s an eye opener for me, I honestly wish I could really share my experiences with everyone at home. There will be things that I fully can’t make anyone understand without them going through and seeing the things for themselves. The harsh reality, that I can’t tell this little one snuggled up in my arms that he can do anything and that he can see the world and travel too just like me, because that isn’t his reality. That is ours as Americans we have those opportunities, we are rich in wealth and yet we sit around complaining we don’t have enough, these children would have to save up all their salaries for years to even get a one-way ticket to America, not to mention how expensive it would be for them to apply for their passport. I am honestly very rich I have had the privilege to travel the world and see so many things that in all reality and honesty there are many people who will never be able to leave their country let alone their town. The lord has taught and shown me in so many ways that I myself am not the circumstances that I was raised with. That I did not need to become what people of this world said I would become just because of my childhood. I trusted in the Lord and believed that He saw the whole picture, that while I was going through the pain and hardship that on the other side would be the healing and restoration that I desired. As I want to protect these children from all the hardships they have and will endure I know that the Lord has a bigger plan for them.
I will continue to love on them while I have the chance, I will continue to tell them they are loved, and I will continue to pray that even while I am gone they will push through the hard times and know that they are never alone nor will they go through warship without growth.
