My eyes are heavy and fluttering shut, but I lay surrounded by 40 giggling girls tucked inside mosquito net bunk bed forts complete with colorful sheets and buzzing fans stirring the hot night air and playful words. I can paint the verbal picture for you, but there is no way I can charm you with the thick feelings of bliss that have taken up residency on my face.
I think I saw the face of Jesus today.
I saw his face in a 12 year old girl, whisking away the tear that escaped as she snuck in a comment about the absence of her mother amongst conversation about her life in school, boys, chores, and her favorites. I was confounded and she openly shared her life with me. I anticipated the adolescent girls here to be closed off and have the same kind of teenage attitude that I had at that age. I expected it to take a lot of effort to break down walls to make friends with these girls, but here she was pouring out the depths of her soul to me after knowing me for a day. It make me think of Mark 10:21:
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him.
Did you catch that? Jesus could merely LOOK at a person and love them, could be the first encounter with that person, yet he could exchange a gaze with them and love them, deeply.
THATs the kinda love at first sight I am talking about! This girl and I looked at each other and I knew I loved her, because Jesus fills me with His love, I feel it pulse through my veins for her.
incredible. [stay tuned for more thoughts- I have so many!]
xoxo kristin
