No, it didn’t
really feel like Thanksgiving. But it was the best un-traditional
Thanksgiving I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of! So what was my Turkey
Day like? Well, for me, it really took place the night before, on Thanksgiving
Eve. For once, it wasn’t about all the food I could stuff myself with, which
team won the football games, who won the most at cards, or going through the
ads for the Black Friday deals. It was about a nine-year-old street boy named
Sam.
The carnival had been a spur of the
moment idea that quickly took root and came to fruition. Since the street kids
didn’t have Thanksgiving, we decided to it to them. And in doing so, I
experienced it in a whole new way. Through a single blog post about the street
kids of Santa Lucia, my squadmate Melissa Diehl was able to single-handedly
raise $400 for the kids’ carnival. Through the generosity of a Filipino
gentleman whom none of us knew, we were able to pull it off. Not only did he
bring sound and movie equipment, he also rented out the venue where we held our
carnival – a 20’x30’ concrete room that would end up holding 92 street kids and
young prostitutes plus some of their parents. The planning and pre-carnival
work began about four days in advance and the living/dining area of the
compound where we were staying took on a whole new appearance and function.
Bags were colored and stuffed, posters made, supplies counted and sorted, and
all manner of details were worked out. Finally, it was time! I arrived around
six thirty and was immediately surrounded by the warmth and chaos and laughter
of happy kids. My job for the night was face painting. Or, in my case, oil
crayon drawing – much less mess and fuss. I drew hurriedly on the tiny arms
thrust eagerly at me, trying to do a good job while still being quick. I
wondered if it was really worth it, if it would make a difference to these kids
since the “tattoos� would be rubbed or sweated off within a few hours. Then I
realized… It wasn’t the drawing itself that mattered. It was what was behind
it, what came with it. The fact that someone was taking time to focus on them
and make them feel special. That they were being touched in a loving rather
than an abusive way. That they were in a safe environment. It was the actions
that mattered, not the art itself.
Suddenly, a voice
requested a more complicated tattoo and presented a sticker as an example. I
glanced up and recognized the face belonging to the latest arm placed in front
of me. Sam*! I exchanged grins of recognition with “my� street kid. How could I
refuse? It only took a few minutes and Sam stood patiently while I worked. I
was a bit disappointed when he disappeared as soon as I was done. That
disappointment, however, turned into a huge bubble of joy when ten minutes
later, he briefly reappeared to thrust three drawings that he had done into my
lap. As the game time drew to a close, Sam found me again, holding my hand and
sitting in a chair next to me until it was time for the short talk to begin.
Throughout the rest of the night, whether during dinner or the magician’s
performance or the talk or group games, Sam was always by my side or close at
hand. Sometimes he held my hand or stood in front of me and wrapped my arms
around his chest. Other times, he would simply glance back at me and smile. And
sometimes, he would wrap both of his arms around my waist and rest his head against me in a hug of complete confidence.
To give and receive love in that manner…
well, it’s a whole new experience. There’s nothing like being loved on by a
little kid. The love is so sweet, so innocent, so complete and trusting. They
think you’re the best thing in the world and that you can do anything and will
keep them safe. It makes you want to love back the same way, makes you want to
live worthy of that love. That’s how we should love God – with the love of a
little kid. Letting Him pick us up. Wrapping our arms around His neck and
resting our heads on His shoulder in an act of complete surrender and trust.
God loves us way more than we could ever love Him. Live so that you can share a
bit of that love with others.
The video was created by my squadmate Melissa Diehl. Watch it. It just might change your life.
