My Melted Heart
June 24, 2008
She’s absolutely adorable. Sandy blond hair, top front teeth missing, and a smile that will melt you to your core. She has an incredible imagination and is quite talented with crayon’s and a blank sheet of paper. She’s simply sweet as can be.
I’m referring to my new little friend at the homeless shelter who I got to see again on Saturday. Last month we went on an imaginary plane ride to Africa, this month we created art together. She traced a toy horse onto a piece of paper, then began coloring it. I came along side her and added a flowing main, nostril, eyes, clouds, which she quickly said were rain clouds, so I darkened them up and she added the rain drops. By the end of our time together, we had created a beautiful piece of art for her mom that we were pretty proud of it.
She grabbed me around my neck and squeezed tightly and then said “I love you.” Calling her by her first name, I said, “I love you too!”
That comment has been with me for a couple of days now. I really do love her. She is a wonderful child of God and created in His image. When we created art together I had a glimpse of God coming along side me and helping as I attempt to create in my daily experiences called life. When she grabbed me around the neck, and squeezed, it was as if God himself was giving me a hug and it just melted my heart.
How do you communicate to others how important it is to spend this kind of time, with kids you don’t know, and especially kids at a homeless shelter. I’m troubled by the thought that so many of the little girls on Saturday were competing for the attention of myself and my other two friends who were there playing with them. Our wives were there participating as well, but I didn’t have a huge sense of the girls wanting to hang out with them. It was clear they didn’t have a need for their attention. They were looking for a dad.
It’s not too difficult to see there’s an absence of a male figure in the lives of these children. Even though it wasn’t as evident in the boys who were there, I’m sure it applies to them as well. In just a few short months we’ve met some very talented and wonderful children who are temporarily displaced from a place they can call home. And we’ve met some wonderful parents as well, who obviously care deeply for their children.
When we started the Jubilee Kids Club, I was convinced we we’re there for the children and we had something to teach them. I’m now more convinced than ever that these kids have more to teach us then we can ever teach them. I’m confident we are there for only one reason and that is to love. Through our love we hope to teach, nourish, build confidence and self esteem, but we hope that these wonderfully talented kids will in some way find hope and assurance that there is a God who also cares deeply for them and is holding them in the palm of his hand. And I hope I learn to love more deeply and I hope in some way we are able to communicate to the rest of the world how great the need is for love.
God help me learn to love more deeply. Help me to care for others more than I care for myself. Show me the way to communicate to others the need out there in the world for love, care, and concern for the children. I pray you’ll help our friends at the homeless shelter. Care for them and help them get back on their feet, but most importantly, help them to feel loved.
I’m sorry I had to miss it on Saturday!