She is four years old.. lives on the street.. and the chances of her getting an actual education are small.
These are the circumstances for almost all of the children we worked with while in Rwanda.
This month we worked as teachers at a nursery school. Our school consisted mostly of kids, who have been pulled off the street and given a shot at an education… but the chances of them actually making it into primary school are small.
All month, though, my team did our best to teach these kids the basic skills needed to make it into primary school.. skills such as the alphabet, colors, adding single digits, spelling simple words, etc.. Coming from a background of teaching, at the beginning of the month I had my mind set on making sure the kids were 100% prepared to make it into primary school… My head was so far into the teaching aspect of our ministry that I lost sight of why we were truly there…. To love the children.
While in Africa, God has drastically changed my concept of love… and the importance of it.
From day one in the classroom all I wanted was for these children to count to 20 without skipping the number 15. I wanted them to be able to pronounce the letter “L” instead of “R” and know the difference between a square and a triangle…
What God wanted, was for them to know what it means and looks like to be loved.
A simple hug, or taking the time to hold a child during recess was what God wanted.. He wanted me to see the smiles that came to their faces when we walked into the room… He didn’t care if they skipped the number 15.
Often in life we get caught up in our own mindset… and lose sight of what God wants and desires for each of us… His number one desire and command is for us to love and be loved.
It took a week for me to catch on to what God wanted and desired for these children…. It was the same thing that He desires for all of us…. To love and to be loved.
What part of love is missing in your life? How often do you lose sight of the love that God desires for you and commands you to share with others?
“ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
1 John 4:7-8
For my readers back home, I challenge you to take a look at your concept of love. What part of love is missing in your life? How often do you lose sight of the love that God desires for you and commands you to share with others? Don’t let your own wants and desires block what God wants and desires for you and the ones around you. I challenge you to love and to be loved. I dare you. You are His beloved. It is your job to love outrageously.
“We love because He first loved us.”
-1 John 4:19
