Children filed into her classroom, a variety of ages represented. Their faces smudged with dirt, wearing clothing that should have been discarded years ago, they arrived. No shoes adorned their feet and yet they hiked the 4-5 miles to make it to the schoolhouse. Hunger and chill kept some of them from paying full attention and yet here they stood before her, ready to learn. Was she prepared for this? Probably not. She had taken her teacher's training courses and yet she never expected she would be teaching 67 students all at once. She didn't know if she was quite ready to face the pain in these kid's lives. Visiting their homes brought along new woes. She wanted to run away, to go back to her "ivory tower" where things were safe. She had been reared in a respectable place, with wealthy parents and plenty to eat. She never knew that life could be like it was in this mountain cove.
The picture I've just painted comes from a beloved book entitled Christy by Catherine Marshall. The main character, Christy, has to decide what to do with the heartache that she's confronted with. Should she escape and pretend away the existence of the sights she had witnessed? But this place was real and her experiences could never be erased from her imagination.
What do we do with pain, deep hurts, poverty? I grew up in a middle class home with two parents who love me and love each other. I, as a child, never realized how blessed I really was. It didn't take long for my eyes to be opened though. Many of my friends had to go through the ordeal of watching their parent's marriage fall to pieces, ending in divorce and a broken family. I went to Mexico on a mission trip at age 15 and there, right in front of me, were children running around almost naked, living in shacks and eating garbage. Should I then have retreated to my home, determined to shield my vision from the harsh things of reality.
A wise woman found in the book Christy addressed this very issue. She had lived among the mountain folk for years and had seen some pretty terrible things. How did she avoid becoming bitter and cynical about life? First God had to pry her hands from her eyes, so she saw things as they really were. Then she had to learn that she couldn't destroy evil in and of herself, but that God was able to. As she partnered with God, she found herself looking at dreadful sights feeling God's compassion and love. He was the One who would help her "not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good." (Romans 12)
I have seen a good deal of darkness in my life and yet I've known such great love. I want to carry this love with me, serving those around me and planting seeds of hope. I want people to experience the God who is not only found in a church with a steeple, but amongst the hurting, the dirty and dying.
The picture I've just painted comes from a beloved book entitled Christy by Catherine Marshall. The main character, Christy, has to decide what to do with the heartache that she's confronted with. Should she escape and pretend away the existence of the sights she had witnessed? But this place was real and her experiences could never be erased from her imagination.
What do we do with pain, deep hurts, poverty? I grew up in a middle class home with two parents who love me and love each other. I, as a child, never realized how blessed I really was. It didn't take long for my eyes to be opened though. Many of my friends had to go through the ordeal of watching their parent's marriage fall to pieces, ending in divorce and a broken family. I went to Mexico on a mission trip at age 15 and there, right in front of me, were children running around almost naked, living in shacks and eating garbage. Should I then have retreated to my home, determined to shield my vision from the harsh things of reality.
A wise woman found in the book Christy addressed this very issue. She had lived among the mountain folk for years and had seen some pretty terrible things. How did she avoid becoming bitter and cynical about life? First God had to pry her hands from her eyes, so she saw things as they really were. Then she had to learn that she couldn't destroy evil in and of herself, but that God was able to. As she partnered with God, she found herself looking at dreadful sights feeling God's compassion and love. He was the One who would help her "not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good." (Romans 12)
I have seen a good deal of darkness in my life and yet I've known such great love. I want to carry this love with me, serving those around me and planting seeds of hope. I want people to experience the God who is not only found in a church with a steeple, but amongst the hurting, the dirty and dying.
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