As we walked into their yard, I felt a rush of gratefulness in my heart....what a privilege.
I glanced around, taking in my new surroundings...grass growing at varying lengths, muddy puddles, chickens wandering in varying directions...and three beautiful smiling faces not only willing but eager to spend a few minutes of their time sharing their lives with a couple of girls from a far away land.
Still cradling the tray of eggs in my arms, I awkwardly managed to maneuver them into her arms, brushed the hair off of my face, smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
Over the next few minutes, my team mate and I took turns playing with the kiddies, giving them high fives and fist bumps. The little girl was about 4, and the boy around ten. Though they were school aged, we soon learned that they often stayed home alone as their mother went to work, baking tortillas to sell along the Main Street in the touristy parts of town. We chatted to Katerina, the mom, about her life, family, and various hardships, and mentioned how excited we were that she was going to come away on the Beauty for Ashes retreat.
My teammate Jena had little Debra in her arms for most of the the visit, swinging her back and forth, kissing her on the head. As we got ready to say goodbye, Jena put her down on the ground, and almost immediately this pretty little angel reached out her arms to me, smiled and clung desperately to me as I picked her up in my arms.
I was taken aback by the tightness of her grasp, her fingers clinging the fabric of my shirt. As I hugged her, her arms wrapped tighter around me and and she lay her head on my shoulder.
Not thinking about boundaries, not thinking about holding back.
Desperately clinging on, open with her desire to feel the love her heart was craving.
As a short term missionary, this has been a year of moments...glimpses of the Kingdom and the Fathers heart.
As I played the scene out in my head over the next few hours, I found myself learning from the vulnerability and reckless pursuit of affection that Debra had shown me.
I think maybe, just maybe...the way that Debra clung to me...is exactly what the Father longs for from all of His children. In Luke 18, the Bible talks about how much Jesus loves the faith of little children."
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." ( Luke 18:16-17)
What does faith like a child really look like ?
I'd like to think it looks a little bit like Debra, who unashamedly declared her need for love by clinging tightly to another.
And although letting go of everything around me might be the hardest thing I ever do, I believe clinging fully to a God who loves more than I can comprehend, is by far the only thing worth doing.
What about you ? What have you learned about your faith from watching those around you ?
What do you think it means to have faith like a child ?
Thank you so much for following me on this Kingdom Journey. I am excited to share what God does through our retreat next weekend, and in the follow up bible study groups in the weeks to come. Your prayers and support mean so much to me! In order to complete this journey, I need to raise 12, 000 dollars. I am currently at about 71%, and I am so thankful to God for His provision. If this is Kingdom work that God is calling you to be a part of, please click the tab that says "support me" for more info!
Lots of love !!!