"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. "
- James 1:27
This is exactly what I am here in Uganda to do. I am so thankful for this scripture. This past week I have been very tired and beginning to feel run down. I have found myself getting into a routine. I wake up each day to go to an orphanage, or a primary school and I do not think about my faith that is being put into it. I have let myself just go through the motions of serving and not actually wholeheartedly serve.
On Monday morning God really spoke to me. As the rooster made its morning call outside my window, I immediately began to squirm around in my bed. I have been so tired lately and the fact that I sleep on a thin foam mattress has been making my back as well as my whole body ache. As I laid there in bed not wanting to be waking up at 7am to go to an orphanage, I somehow,most likely by the grace of God, got my butt out of bed and headed off to the orphanage.
When we go to the orphanages, we spend our first hour or so of time there helping out the caretakers. We mop floors, feed and dress babies, hang clothing to dry on the line, sort clothing, sort beans, or clean clothing. We are there to make the hectic morning a little bit easier for the caretakers. Without us there these women have to do all of these chores themselves as well as care for the children at the orphanage. Because I have been so tired lately, I have found myself sticking to doing chores the whole time and not bothering with the children. I would do mopping or washing clothing until we would leave the home and some days not even see a child. The children in this orphanage truly need love. These children are found on the side of the road, left in taxis, left in public rest rooms, or simply left at the doorstep of the home. So these children need all the love that they can get.
On that Monday morning, God slapped me in the face the second that I walked into Sanyu Babies Home. He reminded me of the scripture in James. I am supposed to be joyfully caring for these orphans. I walked into the home and wet naked babies were everywhere. Some were crying, some were smiling, some were running, some were sitting, some were big, and some were super small. I quickly grabbed a towel and dried off the first baby that I could grab. I was able to dry the children, stop some from crying, dress them and love them.
In that first ten minutes of being at Sanyu Babies home God reminded me of one of the reasons I am here in Uganda. And that is to love on these orphaned children. If these children had a loving family they would not be in a room every morning running around unhappy waiting to be dried from their bath and waiting to be dressed. They would be cared for and loved every second of the day.
I spent the rest of my morning doing the mopping, washing clothing, sorting beans, and hanging clothing much faster than I had ever done before. I wanted to spend more time with these babies. Instead of avoiding them, God placed it in my heart to want to be with them more than anything. When I finished my chores I went to the room where the infant babies are. I was able to simple hold a little girl who was about 1 month old. As I was holding her I was able to tell her that she was beautiful, tell her how much God loves her, pray for her, and rock her to sleep.
Monday was the first time in a very long time that when it was time to leave the babies home I honestly did not want to leave. I was able to push my desires of sleep or lunch to the side and solely want to love on the child of God that was placed in my hands that morning.
The very next day God was able to show me just how much he wanted me to take this bible verse to heart. The next day I was able to spend time with one of my Ugandan friends. We were on our way to visit their home and hang out with their brothers and sisters, when we passed their Mothers church. She was in the yard of the church and quickly waved us down.We got off the boda boda ( motorcycle taxi) and met her in the front yard of the church. She was excited to see me - a muzungu ( white person ). She was spending her afternoon weaving baskets with some other church ladies. She explained to me that she was feeling sick for the past few weeks and could use some prayers if I was able to spare any. We spent our time having small talk while she and the other women made their baskets. Her name is Elizabeth and she herself is a widow. Her husband passed away about 5 years ago. She has been raising her five children all by herself. She has been trying to send them all to school as well as eventually all to University. She has such a great heart and easily shows God's love to others. I could see that in the way that she clearly showed it to me in the way that she openly loved me.
God used this verse this past week to show me once again why he as called me here. If I were back home in America I would not have the chance to rock an orphan to sleep on a Monday morning or sit with a widow as she weaves a basket on o Tuesday evening. God is continuing to show me each day why he has called me here to Uganda. I am so thankful for the reminder that he sent me this week :-)
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