07/02/2012
"Like a rose,
trampled on the ground. You took the fall, and thought of me, Above all."
Before I
even left America for my trip to Uganda, my biggest prayer to the Lord was that
He would have full power to break me inside and out of everything I am and
change me according to His will and purpose. I had no earthly clue that He
would answer my prayers in ways bigger than I could ever imagine. And I have
yet to fully understand the magnitude of His faithfulness and love for me, but
my eyes have seen and my ears have heard what He has spoken into
my heart and I know I will never be the same. I am still
reflecting on every little detail and truth that was revealed to me in the
past two weeks. I am drained and exhausted physically and mentally. My
body is weary and tired and all I want to do is rest in His arms. And it
is difficult for me to put into words exactly what the Lord did in my life
and so many others without leaving something out that is imperative to
understanding how he truly answered my prayers. So in this time of
reflection and discernment, I will gather up my strength to tell you one story
that completely changed my heart and my life. This is Okia's story,
the story of a lost sheep whom the shepard relentlessly searched for, and by
His grace, the sheep was found.
Upon
arriving at the clinic for the first day of work, we were bombarded by children
who followed us everywhere and giggled as we would greet them with a warm
touch. Each child was different in spirit and form, but every single one of
them smiled. Despite the many children who swarmed the clinic grounds, it was
not difficult to notice the small boy who would leap into your arms and dance
with so much joy and energy that you wondered if he ever grew tired. We met him
on the very first day there, and without fail, he tugged on our hearts and left
a mark in our lives that will forever remain a powerful memory and
encouragement to follow the Lord's word, "Religion that God accepts as
pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."~James 1: 27. To tell
you everything about this little boy's spirit and heart, would not do justice
enough unless one was blessed to be in his presence. I journaled while I was in
Africa, every day. One journal entry in particular, I wrote when the Lord showed
me His abounding love and mercy through the eyes of this child. That entry is in
the next blog. May his story bring you as much grace, peace, and wisdom as it brought to
my life. Many blessings to you all!
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