Global Urban Trek 2008
Love ExtendedJuly 6, 2008
My two Saturdays here in Kolkata have really taught me about those physically or geographically isolated by the world. God has convicted me of my inability to love God’s poor without the help of His grace. I have also learned the extent of His deep love for His children.
I spent my first Saturday volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity at Shishu Bhavan, an orphanage for severely handicapped children. I worked specifically with a girl named Deepa. She had a sensory handicap, was fragile, and was blind with sunken in eyes that never had been opened.
The Sisters of Charity have composed books on each child detailing the child’s disability and special needs for exercise. Flipping through Deepa’s book, I was overwhelmed with fear of being unqualified to meet needs. Still, I sat with Deepa and attempted to help her with her exercises. Deepa could not respond to me to let me know if I was actually helping or hurting her.
The real problem this Saturday was my hardness of heart. I knew that these were the children Jesus would want to be with first: those isolated because of their physical needs. Yet, I had to confess to God that I did not want to be with these children. I wanted to be with healthy children who could respond to me in ways I understood. I wanted to love children who I knew how to make smile or laugh or feel better. Yet, Jesus never lets us be complacent in loving His children. He calls us out of our comfort and asks that we love our enemies – those we assumedly struggle the most at loving.
It was my second Saturday here that God taught me the extent of His love. I traveled five hours outside the city to a remote village with two of my teammates (Brenna and Emily), Kiya, a woman from my work site, and her friend Imli. As we journeyed by bus, train, and auto-rickshaw, I could not help but hear Jesus telling me repeatedly, “I go to every corner of this earth. No square is forgotten.” I was struck by the distance and pursuit of Christ for His children, particularly to isolated villages.
When we reached the village, we met a family who offered one of their two tiny cement rooms to the children of the village for worship. Each Saturday Imli travels half the day just to teach these village kids about Jesus for an hour.
I was awestruck as sixty plus kids filled every square of this tiny room to listen intently and respond respectfully. Emily, Brenna and I shared the story of Noah, the Gospel of Jesus, another message, and two Christian songs. The kids were overjoyed and beamed of Jesus’ image. When I asked them who Jesus loved the most they responded, “Kids!”
This Saturday I was grateful for another tiny glimpse at how God is alive in so many minute pieces of His universe. He is everywhere, loving all, especially the isolated.
- Julie
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