Beautiful Children

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us. that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
1 John 3:1

Every afternoon at UJIMA-Settegast Heights (a Section 8 housing community), I have the blessing of playing with some of the most beautiful children I've ever met. We play bingo, we do the monkey bars, we play chain tag, or their personal favorite, we play Crystal is a horsey, where basically they get on my back and we run and spin around aimlessly until I can't hold them anymore and the next beautiful child asks to get on my back.

As Big Boi and Hamburger and Pig and Trey and Tyra and Adrian and Queen Bee and Daysia and so many more look up at me with their beautiful eyes, I can't help but be reminded of how I look up to my father. These kids look up at me sometimes with smiles, sometimes with tears, and even sometimes expressionless. Some of them are so desperate for human touch that I just want to hold them all day long and bring them home with me. Their laughter has become the music of my summer. Even their expressionless faces hold so much beneath. And then I remember, they are not only reaching up to me, they are actually reaching up to their heavenly Father. They may have no concept or knowledge of who Jesus is, but they do know they need love and I know that that love comes from their Heavenly Father.

As I left there last Thursday, knowing I wouldn't be back for a few days, I couldn't help, but be overcome with sadness. I didn't want to leave them. They have taught me so much about how to yearn out for the Lord, even though they don't know it. The way they love me is the way I want to love my father. Their love is so bold, real, and honest.

I don't even want to think about leaving them next week, knowing that I won't be seeing them for a long time, if ever again at all. Through this summer, though, I really have come to feel a peace about moving back to Houston after graduation, working, and continuing to love and be loved by these beautiful children.

Lord, thank you for making such beautiful children. Thank you for letting me be your child and loving me so well. Bless my kids at UJIMA and lead them to your love. Amen