“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3
Simple Love
I have always been afraid of the cost of loving those who are suffering deeply. This fear came up immediately on this trip. The first day we walked into the orphanage we were immediately presented with the faces and bodies of children who have suffered more than I can ever imagine. We walked from the peaceful gardens in the compound to dim hallways that smelled of urine, body odor, and sickness.
In the orphanage there are five rooms, in which the children are organized according to their age and the severity of their illness. Room one has the sickest babies; room five has the older and healthier kids. The first room I saw was room one. Tears came to my eyes to see these children with sores on their faces, shrunken bodies, crying eyes. That is when the grace of God met me.
I walked over to one of the cribs and looked down at a little girl. She was crying in pain, her body was covered with scabies and large sores. But, when I bent down to say hello to her she smiled at me. That was when I saw it, the person, the little girl. There was a person there, even covered with all that pain. Suddenly air in the room felt lighter, the smell didn’t make me nauseous, and my heart lifted. In the eyes of that AIDS baby I saw the truth. Regardless of our pain and suffering, we retain the ability to feel and respond to love. The challenge of Compassion is to look at the person and not see what is wrong with them, but to see their soul shining back at you. Then, the small acts of service; changing a diaper, spooning gruel into a mouth, washing the wounded, all those acts become acts of a simple and great love. Simple things, done with great love, become extraordinary acts of kindness.
In the words of another visitor to Mother Theresa;
“Accompanying Mother Theresa, as we did, to the Home for the Dying, to the lepers and unwanted children, I found I went through three phases. The first was horror mixed with pity, the second compassion pure and simple, and the third, reaching far beyond compassion something I had never experienced before- an awareness that these dying and derelict men and women, these lepers with stumps instead of hands these unwanted children were not pitiable, repulsive or forlorn, but rather dear and delightful; as it might be, friends of long standing, brothers and sisters.” – Malcolm Muggeridge
May God grant that I am able to see people with new eyes, the eyes of one who looks past what is wrong with them and sees the person, created in the image of God. I want to see a person who is worthy to love and be loved. Jesus, make it so.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Devastated by a Greater Hope
On the third day in Haiti, as I was looking out at the city from the upstairs porch of the guest house, a thought ran through my mind, “I think I know now what the word ‘devastation’ means.”
I have never seen such extreme poverty, children who were so close to death, or anything like the line of people who came to us with swollen and gangrenous limbs. It is not uncommon to look at the faces of the Haitians and see expressions that are bleak or blank. Life expectancy in Haiti is in the late thirties to early forties. Their faces and their bodies age quickly as a result of the malnourishment, and harsh realities of life. The average Haitian earn less than one dollar a day. They do not have the resources to feed their children, or keep them from getting sick.
Working in the orphanage/hospital that is run by the Sisters of Charity (the sisterhood founded by Mother Theresa), we saw firsthand the devastation of the people. Mothers and fathers came to visit their sick babies for a few hours each morning. They held their children with a mixture of joy and sadness. The little bodies were racked with terminal diseases, swollen bellies, sticklike arms and legs, and expressionless faces. When the sisters rang the bell, it was time for the parents to leave. With longing faces, they hugged the child one last time, nodded to the sisters and left. I was reminded me of the story of Solomon’s wisdom, when the true mother was the one who was willing to give her child up rather than see it die. Although their hearts break every time, they are willing to leave their children in a place where they receive the lifesaving care that they need so badly need.
Heartbreaking as it is, I have no desire to dwell upon the devastation. It is impossible to describe, and overwhelming to experience. What we witnessed in Haiti had a life-changing effect not because of the despair it brought us to, but because of the power of Hope. Together our team got to witness little moments of great Joy, triumph over long odds, and peace instead of fear. It was a reminder that our God cares about the physical wrongs and injustices that have beset our world. We, as His people, are commanded to go forth and do the same.
We got to see children go home with their families. One little boy went out wearing a double breasted coat, gold basketball shorts, and bright pink shower shoes; clutching the artwork we had done with him in one hand and his father’s hand in the other. My little friend Sergo went from being listless, non-responsive, and unwilling to eat, to finishing a whole bowl and half of his food and reaching his hand up at the sound of a voice. Sarah D. got to see Little Augustine (four years old), who has been at the orphanage her whole life, walking for the first time. She waddled proudly through the halls and called Sarah’s name. We teased the sisters about their midnight soccer games, when they go out and play together, hike up their habits and shout. There were rich times of laughter along with the tears.
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:1
And this became true. Hope was always near to us in God’s presence. I clung to Him. It all comes down to our final Hope. In the words from the Revelation to John the Apostle, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away…” – Revelation 21:3-4
At first, I thought that I would give in to despair, but then I found that all was not lost. Greater is the Hope that is in us than the devastation in this world.
I have never seen such extreme poverty, children who were so close to death, or anything like the line of people who came to us with swollen and gangrenous limbs. It is not uncommon to look at the faces of the Haitians and see expressions that are bleak or blank. Life expectancy in Haiti is in the late thirties to early forties. Their faces and their bodies age quickly as a result of the malnourishment, and harsh realities of life. The average Haitian earn less than one dollar a day. They do not have the resources to feed their children, or keep them from getting sick.
Working in the orphanage/hospital that is run by the Sisters of Charity (the sisterhood founded by Mother Theresa), we saw firsthand the devastation of the people. Mothers and fathers came to visit their sick babies for a few hours each morning. They held their children with a mixture of joy and sadness. The little bodies were racked with terminal diseases, swollen bellies, sticklike arms and legs, and expressionless faces. When the sisters rang the bell, it was time for the parents to leave. With longing faces, they hugged the child one last time, nodded to the sisters and left. I was reminded me of the story of Solomon’s wisdom, when the true mother was the one who was willing to give her child up rather than see it die. Although their hearts break every time, they are willing to leave their children in a place where they receive the lifesaving care that they need so badly need.
Heartbreaking as it is, I have no desire to dwell upon the devastation. It is impossible to describe, and overwhelming to experience. What we witnessed in Haiti had a life-changing effect not because of the despair it brought us to, but because of the power of Hope. Together our team got to witness little moments of great Joy, triumph over long odds, and peace instead of fear. It was a reminder that our God cares about the physical wrongs and injustices that have beset our world. We, as His people, are commanded to go forth and do the same.
We got to see children go home with their families. One little boy went out wearing a double breasted coat, gold basketball shorts, and bright pink shower shoes; clutching the artwork we had done with him in one hand and his father’s hand in the other. My little friend Sergo went from being listless, non-responsive, and unwilling to eat, to finishing a whole bowl and half of his food and reaching his hand up at the sound of a voice. Sarah D. got to see Little Augustine (four years old), who has been at the orphanage her whole life, walking for the first time. She waddled proudly through the halls and called Sarah’s name. We teased the sisters about their midnight soccer games, when they go out and play together, hike up their habits and shout. There were rich times of laughter along with the tears.
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:1
And this became true. Hope was always near to us in God’s presence. I clung to Him. It all comes down to our final Hope. In the words from the Revelation to John the Apostle, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away…” – Revelation 21:3-4
At first, I thought that I would give in to despair, but then I found that all was not lost. Greater is the Hope that is in us than the devastation in this world.
A Catalytic Lifechange of Epic Proportions
Life. Wow! It is so surprising. I cannot even begin to understand how this works, but here is one great thing that I have discovered… When you completely surrender your life to a cause, to a person, to your God, you are in for an adventure.
A week ago, for the first time my size seven feet landed on the ground in Haiti. Going into this trip, I knew that something big was coming but I was unprepared for just how big that something was going to be. Sometimes, one week carries the significance of a year. Sometimes, the things that God has been speaking to you will suddenly make perfect and sudden sense. In an overwhelming symphony of Love your heart will be overpowered, expanded and left breathless. In chemistry terms, a catalyst causes the reaction to take place at an exponential rate. Take all the progress and growth that you have been experiencing and multiply it by ten, one hundred, or one thousand.
I have no doubt that, in life, everything can change in a few days. The death and resurrection of Christ took place in a few days, and forever changed the course of History as we know it. I think that God operates on a timeline that is not a line, it is a web, a mass of roots tangled together, where one event can feed into various circumstances that branch out, cause growth. So, I am writing in an attempt to understand the things that I have seen, experienced and the things that have changed within me. This is the story of my trip to Haiti. This is the story where God is the hero, the ultimate catalyst, the one who has the plan. I am a grateful participant in His story.
“Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your hearts, and try to love the questions themselves. Like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue… do not now seek the answers which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to LIVE EVERYTHING! Live the questions themselves. Perhaps you will then, gradually without knowing it, live along some distant day to the answer.” - Ranier Maria Rilke
A week ago, for the first time my size seven feet landed on the ground in Haiti. Going into this trip, I knew that something big was coming but I was unprepared for just how big that something was going to be. Sometimes, one week carries the significance of a year. Sometimes, the things that God has been speaking to you will suddenly make perfect and sudden sense. In an overwhelming symphony of Love your heart will be overpowered, expanded and left breathless. In chemistry terms, a catalyst causes the reaction to take place at an exponential rate. Take all the progress and growth that you have been experiencing and multiply it by ten, one hundred, or one thousand.
I have no doubt that, in life, everything can change in a few days. The death and resurrection of Christ took place in a few days, and forever changed the course of History as we know it. I think that God operates on a timeline that is not a line, it is a web, a mass of roots tangled together, where one event can feed into various circumstances that branch out, cause growth. So, I am writing in an attempt to understand the things that I have seen, experienced and the things that have changed within me. This is the story of my trip to Haiti. This is the story where God is the hero, the ultimate catalyst, the one who has the plan. I am a grateful participant in His story.
“Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your hearts, and try to love the questions themselves. Like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue… do not now seek the answers which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to LIVE EVERYTHING! Live the questions themselves. Perhaps you will then, gradually without knowing it, live along some distant day to the answer.” - Ranier Maria Rilke
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