“I wish we could open our eyes to see in all directions at the same time, oh what a beautiful view, if you were never aware of what was around you…” – Death Cab for Cutie in “Marching Bands of Manhattan”
“We only got 86 400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or to throw it all away, we gotta tell them that we love them while we got the chance to say, gotta live like we’re dying…” – Kris Allen in “Live Like We’re Dying”
“Do you ever feel like you’re wasted space, you’re original, cannot be replaced, if you only knew what the future holds, after a hurricane comes a rainbow, maybe the reason why all the doors are closed so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road…” – Katy Perry in “Firework”
“In this world we will have trouble, but You have overcome the world” – Brian Doerkson in “You Shine”
Beauty. Love. These words have been laid heavily on my heart in the last few days. God has used nature, civilization, and children to speak so loudly to me.
On Friday night I had the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Nirup, Nate, Alicia, Michelle, Megan, and I played “human shuffleboard” in our socks in our hallway at the YWCA. Basically, we slid down the hall and tried to knock each other over. Later, in an attempt to escape the wrath of an angry Indian man in a wife beater who heard us in the hall, we ran up the stairs and discovered something amazing. We found the door that led to the roof. “Oh what a beautiful view if you were never aware of what was around you.” The view from the roof at midnight was breathtaking. The beauty was incredible. This morning Lynn, Nate, Megan and I woke up at 6am to climb up to the roof and watch the sunrise. We sat in silence and wonder.
God is Good.
Yesterday was our last day at the orphanage. Although I was incredibly sad to leave, I cannot cry too long because the girls fill me with such love and joy. If what the girls have shown me isn’t love, I don’t know what is. It was so pure. So sincere. They have taught me not to feel so jaded about the word love. I hear people talk about love so much in a way that doesn’t seem genuine, but finally, I’m not afraid of love. And joy—my joy is complete when I am secure and satisfied in the Lord. He fills me so much and pouring out His love is so fulfilling.
I’m going to miss those girls so much. They are so precious…beautiful…full of promise. When we sang “Our God” and “You Shine” for the last time, I was filled with an emotion I cannot describe…the words mean so much to me know with them in mind. The girls did a presentation for us yesterday where they danced. Between the music and their beautiful dancing, all I can think is that “this is beauty.” God has created these girls so wonderfully and so beautifully...it's hard to think that so many girls such as these have not had a chance to know love.
God's beauty, joy, and love have been revealed to me so strongly in the last few days. I want to go back. It's hard to think about not seeing those girls again. I pray that God will give me an opportunity to go back.
Taj Mahal tomorrow!
As I was reading about the pure love that you were describing in the girls from the orphanage I kept thinking of the verse Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" :)
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