Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Temporary placement, permanent love


Can I introduce you to the newest piece of my heart?

Last Saturday I was able to go with Annie and Phoebe to visit a family that we had heard about who had some babies that might need help. Since Annie is currently running the P82 baby home in Nairobi, as soon as we heard about the babies we thought that they might be able to find a good home in Neema House.
My heart would have never been ready for the kids that we were about to meet.

You always hope for the best, you talk to God and you tell Him that you want to help only as much as you are needed, that if the kids can stay with the mom, that’s the best thing.
When we met the two sweet 17 month twins and sweet 4-5ish year old Martin, we knew that they needed a good bit of help to get back to a healthy condition.
By the grace of God they have a mom who really did want to help her kids, even if she herself didn’t quite know how.
She gave us permission to take her kids to the hospital and to keep them for some time while they are getting healthy.
The babies traveled back to Nairobi with Annie and I have the awesome privilege of taking care of sweet Martin for the time being.
And gosh, what a privilege it is!!

I want to say that I’ve always believed in miracles. That I’ve always known how awesome God is and how big His works are. But this week has wrecked everything I have ever thought.
I’ve realized that I have always put a limit on the miracles that I believe, and it took this little boy to show me that my God will always always be bigger and greater and more faithful and powerful than I could ever ever hope to even imagine.

On Sunday I had a little boy who I thought didn’t even know how to smile. He was quiet and looked incredibly sad.
I would never believe that the sweet babe sleeping next to me right now was the same kid if I hadn’t witnessed the transformation every second of every day.

His body is small and fragile but his heart is huge and he has the most contagious giggle I have ever heard.
He is curious and funny and loving and such a trooper.
He loves eating and hates his medicine.
He has a rattle that he carries around everywhere and he LOVES little books.
He always manages to scoot right next to me when we are sleeping and loves to cuddle.
He loves playing peek-a-boo and will find anything that you hide from him.
He is scared of loud metal noises and going outside in the dark.
His laughter could be the soundtrack of my life all day every day and it would still never be long enough.

This is why God is good-because I get to love this little one now, with all that I have. And because I get to love him forever after, even when he is no longer with me.
We’re called to love. I’m lucky because loving right now means seeing the biggest miracle of my life.
One day he will be big enough and strong enough to not need me. But isn’t that what parents always hope for their kids, even if it means that they leave you? And even though he isn’t mine, it’s what I want for him with my whole heart.

My favorite scripture since I’ve been in Kenya has been Acts 17: 26-28. 
“From one man he made every nation, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’”

The other night I came to put Martin to sleep and laid down next to him and he immediately snuggled up onto my chest and fell asleep. And God said “THIS IS WHY YOU ARE HERE.”
I didn’t move for an hour.

He has a plan, a GREAT plan. And He knows where we need to be and when. And when we do what scripture says, when we reach out and seek Him and when we live and move and have our being with Him, we get to be a part of the works that He sets before us.

I love getting to love Martin. And I will love getting to love him for as long or as little as I am called to. I will love him until it hurts and then I will keep on loving him more. And even if my place in his life is fleeting, my love for him is endless.






“I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.”
-Mother Theresa

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