The power of an embrace..

The power of an embrace...

Tonight was one of those moments where I was reminded of the power and impact a simple embrace or touch can have on a child; or anyone for that matter. It was one of those nights after kissing all the kiddos and tell them bon nwit (goodnight) and mwen renmen ou (I love you) that I was sitting in my room and thinking of all the stuff I should get done on the computer tonight…then when I was made aware of some girls who were crying that all changed.

As one little girl was laying on me and another lying beside me sad and crying my initial frustration was that I could not talk to them to try to figure out what was wrong. Yes, I could get a few broken Creole sentences in to try to find out what was wrong but even if they did respond more than likely I wouldn’t know what they were saying. After a few minutes of just laying there and holding these girls and rubbing their backs I quickly realized that more than anything that was what they really needed most—a simple embrace and a loving touch to know they were loved and cared for.

As I was writing the previous sentence I could hear one of the girls crying again. I brought her into my room and just held her. She continued to cry and cry all I could do was sit and hold her tight. I had a bag of stuffed animals at the end of my bed that Annabel and Ruby (my nieces) had given to me before I left to give to some kids in Haiti. J So reached in and grabbed the ‘prayer bear.’ When you hold the palms of its hands it says, 'Now I lay me down to sleep, guard and guide me through the night and wake me in the morning light. Amen.' She played it over and over and finally feel asleep in my arms embracing the ‘prayer bear’ in her arms and is now laying fast asleep on my bed with the little bear tucked under her arm.

This is why I’m here. I’m here to love each and everyone of these children as best as I can and to pray that God would fill me with His love so that I am able to love them as He has loved me!

So the emails didn’t get written or sent and the spreadsheets didn’t get created, but that can wait until tomorrow…we are called to love and that means giving of ourselves.  

Please pray that I can continual be filled so that I can love these children like they deserve to be loved.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:9-17

(so the blog post that I started the other night will have to wait…J )