This month we are working in a church, but we also have the opportunity to go help at an orphanage. There are 18 kids aging from 7 months to 15 years. We went for the first time a couple of days ago, and, as most of the younger kids clamored for attention, alternatively shy and excited, there’s a little boy napping on the couch inside. I didn’t pay him much attention- we found out when we got there that we would be teaching English all day, and, therefore, were frantically coming up with a lesson plan.
The boy on the couch woke up, and two of my teammates went to check on him. When they brought him out, my heart instantly broke. No, I’m not being dramatic. This five-year-old little boy named Josua has a skin disease. Every inch of his skin is dry and constantly itchy. Sometimes he can be distracted, and will not scratch for that time. However, most of the time he just sits scratching the incessant itch that covers his body. He scratches until his skin is bleeding. He does this with his fingernails, even though they are kept short to prevent this very thing from happening. For the portion of the day that he isn’t distracted, he itches and cries.
It’s really interesting how the Lord works. A couple of days ago, I was reflecting on the cynical part of my mind. This is not my best quality, because it makes the inherent Sin in every person (including myself) much easier to spot than the image of the Lord in him or her. It’s really counterproductive to loving people well. During my quiet time, I asked the Lord to help me see beauty, not just brokenness, when I look at people.
The moment I saw this little boy, who was externally very obviously broken, I thought, “This is God’s beloved child.” It was like in Mark 1:40-42 when Jesus encounters a man with leprosy. “Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.” Now, I am not as good as Jesus at expressing or acting on emotions like compassion. This, however, is the beauty of community- such a picture of Jesus. Where I was weak, one of my teammates was strong. She just sat and held him, gently rubbing the arm he had just been scratching. It was beautiful. We went back the next day, and we all took turns distracting him. He likes being pushed in around in a stroller. He gets distracted and forgets the itching for a little while. He waves, smiles, and even blows kisses. He can even get a few minutes of peaceful sleep.
I think that’s what happens when we focus on the magnitude and goodness of God, instead of the distraction of the flesh. We are able to live in the joy for which we were created, not revel in the Sin that entices us to itch ourselves raw and bloody. We itch (satisfy the flesh) for a little while to distract ourselves from the insatiable desire for more. However, in our feeble attempts will never satisfy because that longing comes from a desire for wholeness, which we cannot restore ourselves. But even in the depth of our Sin, Jesus is filled with compassion, and reaches out to embrace us, offering the life that our souls truly desire.
