I was sitting at the back of the Kids' Club clapping my hands as they sang. Then I saw a little boy who was dozing off the entire time. He was one of the brick factory slaves. He and his big sister just sat there, starred at the dancing crowd without a screen of emotion. The sister held tight of her baby brother with her arms. She was probably 4 years old, the little brother 2 years old.
2 minutes later, Beth went over and sat among the children and held a sleeping child in her arms. Beth waved me over and automatically I chose to sit next to the big sister and the baby brother. They didn't look at me or even showed any response as I sat down. I said hello, no response, no eye contacts, they were still starring at the dancing crowd who were exuberantly praising Jesus in songs. The Holy Spirit prompted me to simply open my palms as I sat, I made my right hand available to the sister. She looked at me with hesitation and looked away. I surveyed all around. There were another big sister and little brother. Their clothes were covered with dust, red dust, yet they were full of smiles. Especially the little brother who kept poking the other little brother and trying to make him smile, of course to no avail.
All of a sudden, a little hand slipped under my palm. I looked, that was from the big sister who placed her left hand on my right hand. Our fingers were intertwining with each other. Her hand was rough, fingernails all crowned with dirt, her hand was warm and sweaty, so was mine. Yet we didn't want to let go of each other. I held her hand up to my heart and looked at her with a smile. She looked at me with the same facial expression. We held hands for the longest time and all of a sudden she shifted her sitting position and she started to lean over and crossed her arm around mine. I sat there trying to compose myself as my tears streaming down. I said to myself, "she is holding my hand, she wants someone to hold her hand, Jesus sent me here to simply hold her hand." After a while, the other big sister poked my leg with her little finger. I gave her a big smile and opened my another arm to her. She immediately jumped in and made herself very comfortable sitting in between my legs. She rested her head on my leg the way Heather likes to do when we hold each other. Her feet was touching mine and she felt so comfortable just lying down closing her eyes. So here I was having these two little girls finding respite in my arms, and I simply offered myself to them both. It was hot that afternoon, the smell of their head-lice hair was rising up. I was re-arranging the hair of the girl and thought to myself, that was what Jesus wants me to do, to have my arms opened to them even only for that particular moment.
As a mother, I knew that this trip to Cambodia (especially to Svay Pak) is an invitation from Jesus that I need to let go of my own 2 children, allow my arms and presence to be available for the children He wants me to be with, for however short a period. As I held these 2 girls in my arms and legs, I could hear my King said to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness." - Matthew 25:21
I was there on a Tuesday afternoon, in the middle of Svay Pak, on one of the floors of the Sancturary, holding on to these 2 precious one. I didn't give them anything to eat, I didn't offer them a cup of water, I didn't give them clothes, I was not a doctor to them when they were sick. All I did was offer my presence to them, offer my hands and feet and I know that is the invitation from Jesus.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
No comments:
Post a Comment