Have you ever asked yourself where God is in a situation? Have you ever questioned why the Lord would place you in a situation of hurt or frustration if He truly has your best intentions at heart? My answer to both of these questions is yes, and I have recently asked these questions about the sweet kids that I am living with for the month.
There are two children living at Jean Claude’s house that were abandoned on the side of the road by their mother after the earthquake. When I met Clinton, age 3, and Mama, age 5, I was less than impressed with God’s plan for them.
My heart broke as I looked into their eyes and wondered how it must have felt for them to watch their mother walk away. Lord, do they know that she chose to walk away? Do they realize that they weren’t wanted, that they were abandoned? How could You do that to them if they are Your beloved children? Be still and know that I am God. They’re not abandoned; look at the people I have placed in their lives. I have plans to prosper them, even if it doesn’t look the way you think it should.
I don’t know what their situation was before their mother abandoned them. I don’t know if they were well-fed or if their mom struggled to care for them. My guess would be the latter choice; after spending time with them, I can’t imagine that it was an easy decision to leave them. I do know that they are now well-fed and showered with the love of many, many people.
I had difficulty seeing God in their situation when we first arrived. I now see Him in everything that surrounds them. I see Him in their pure joy when we have dance parties. I see Him in their innocent laughter while playing patty cake. I see Him in their earnest as they point to everything and seek to learn English. I see Him in their hearts when they lift their hands to pray with the family that God has given them. I see Him everywhere.
It’s hard for me to see how God is working in my own life sometimes, but I’m learning that I won’t always understand and that it’s okay not to understand. God doesn’t love me any less, nor will He give up on me when I sometimes just don’t “get it”. That’s the beauty of faith. I have no idea what things will look like sometimes, but I do know that God has it under control. I’m not sure why I sometimes think that the creator of the universe needs my input, but I think God’s perfectly fine doing His own thing :).
