Last year when I was trying to find a temp nanny job as I support raised for the race, I was told by two different families that they couldn’t hire me because they didn’t know if I was able to work with “normal” kids anymore. Ok, really. At first I just laughed at how ridiculous that was (especially since I had spent four years as a daycare teacher before houseparenting), but when the door opened and I was blessed to work with a family that had kids on the autism spectrum shortly after that, I began to wonder if there was something to this statement that God was trying to use… that maybe it wasn’t about the ability to do so, but the calling instead.
This past week my team had the opportunity to work with Team Pneuma and visit Mother’s Teresa’s home for handicapped women and children thats here in Kenya. When we got there to help serve lunch we walked into a courtyard where they all waited in either beds, large high-chairs, or wheel chairs. For a few moments, I was so totally and completely overwhelmed… more than anytime I had ever been on the race so far. My heart literally broke. But then all of a sudden, this supernatural peace overcame my helplessness and I could just feel a love that can only come from the spirit starting to break through.
As I’ve been able to process this the last couple of days, I’ve realized that the feeling I had in that hour with those precious women and children was the exact feeling I had whenever I was around Julio in Guatemala and Yime in Nicaragua… and something I hadn’t really had ever since. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely loved being around all the kids that I’ve had contact with, but there really is just something inside of me that starts coming alive when I’m around those that are at-risk or have special needs. And now, 8 months into this crazy adventure, as God has continued to reveal more and more, I’ve started to see the truth… apparently I’m really not supposed to do normal anymore.
