Story #2 - AIM Story Contest
"The First Lesson Africa Taught Me" Last January I had the privilege of traveling to Swaziland, Africa on a vision trip with AIM. For a...
on a vision trip with AIM. For as long as I can remember I have had the
desire to travel to Africa, so this was like a dream come true! A piece
of my heart was left there, in Swaziland, in the care of the beautiful
people I met and ministered to there. Actually, they ministered to me in
ways I could not have anticipated or believed.
carepoint, I stepped off of the bus and before I even had both feet
on the ground a little girl had literally climbed her way up my legs
and into my arms! She was probably around three or four years old and
was covered in sweat and dirt. As soon as she was settled in my arms she
took my face in both of her hands and positioned it so that we were
locked in an eye to eye gaze! I was breathless...
hold of my heart and whispered into my soul "There you are!" I realized,
to the core of my being, that I had traveled across an ocean to a
different continent for the express purpose of holding this little girl
in my arms. She knew it and I knew it! She didn't wait for me to bend
over and pick her up or even notice her standing there in the red dirt
lost in the slanting shadows of the African sun. She made the first move
and grabbed hold of me.
brief time in Swaziland. It really is a two fold lesson, I suppose:
1. Jesus doesn't wait for us to pay attention or to notice Him...He
offers His love freely. He loved me before I took notice and certainly
before I deserved it. That is mercy...that is grace! Just like my little
friend in Swaziland, He always welcomes me with arms outstretched and
love in His eyes.
2. I am not supposed to hesitate, before I crawl up into the arms
of my Father. For so much of my life I held back and stayed in the
shadows. Sometimes, wanting God to notice me; often times hoping He
wouldn't see what the shadows were helping me to hide! My Lord wants me
close to him, in His arms...even covered in my own filth and shame!
Because thanks to the unspeakable gift of Jesus, even my worst is
covered by His best...His blood! That is all the Father sees when He
draws me near. The rest falls away...all that remains is love and Him
repeating softly and tenderly into my ear: "There you are...there you
are...there you are..."
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