little hands and full hearts

the sun came up one Sunday morning. the heat already unbearable…and the dogs were still barking from the night before. i was awake before my alarm…because the sun beamed into my bedroom window. i sat on the edge of my bed, still foggy from sleep (or lack thereof) watching out the window of my bedroom on the 2nd floor.

people walked by. peeking in through the gate in front of our house trying to catch a glimpse of…well, who knows what. women carrying baskets on their heads full of fruit, vegetables, or ducks to sell at the market. barefoot children running up and down the street. the pastor and his family across the street getting ready for church that day.

i climbed down the stairs to gather myself and grab a cup of the greatest coffee i've ever tasted. that coffee was so strong it could put hairs on your chest…if you don't have any that is. i sat down at our semi-broken dining room table with coffee and probably some kind of breakfast item…you know…eggs or something. as i read my Bible, i started to get more and more excited for church that morning.

i was reminded of how i missed church at home. and how i missed friends at home. and air conditioning. i missed worshipping in my native language. and sitting in a pew that didn't make my butt fall asleep. and for the love of all things holy…did i mention AIR CONDITIONING?

i quickly snapped back to reality and went upstairs and finished getting ready for church. as i was standing in front of my fan…trying to decide whether i was going to put my hair in a ponytail or a bun (the struggle…so real)…i heard tiny faint voices calling my name. this was not a usual ordeal, so i walked to the window to see what was going on. low and behold it was some of the kids from the church waiting to walk, hand in hand mind you, with us to church. i think it was their favorite part of the day…and secretly it was mine too.

as we settled into our pews…or small wooden benches…the kids began to stir. see in the US children go to their own class. they are kept away from the service so that the adults can concentrate and are often looked down upon if they are in church service…heaven forbid they make noise! did i strike a nerve?

in our church, the kids were fully involved! they had their own prayers, songs, and even welcomed visitors and celebrated birthdays…all in the service! that day, my sweet little friend Dodona, was rather antsy. i noticed that his mom was busy taking care of his younger brother and his grandma was at home sick. so as he roamed, freely, around the church, i motioned for him to come sit next to me in the pew.

he quickly climbed through, between me and Laura. he sat perfectly still for awhile, then started to lean. further and further he leaned, until he was asleep on my lap. sprawled out…mouth hanging open. i didn't hear a word of what the pastor was saying. all i could pay attention to was this sweet little boy asleep in my lap.

i cry when i think of that moment and how pivotal it was, and still is, to me. it was the moment that i knew God was working through me. it was the moment i knew that it was nothing i had done. the moment that God reached down and touched my heart in a very special way, that only i would understand.

when Dodona woke up, he only wanted to be with me. not even his mom could tear him away. so i held his hand, and we all walked outside to greet the other members after church was over. and even after that, he still had a tight grip on my hand.

have you ever rested in Jesus like that? just fallen at His feet and rested in Him? all i can think about that moment is how i long for the times i'm able to do that with Jesus. isn't that how it should look? so peaceful and comfortable that we are just sprawled out before Him. and shouldn't we cling to His hand like Dodona did mine? there is such joy and peace in just resting in His arms and clinging to His hand.

reach out today. cling to His hand. only He knows where you are going and how you'll get there. rest in His promises. He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.

every. single. morning.