This morning, I did a devotional with our group based on this verse, and how God took something as small and seemingly unnoticeable and meaningless as dust and used it to form a living, breathing human being! Amazing. He also takes things in life that we experience which, through our eyes, are "dust," such as difficult relationships, mistakes, hurt...poverty, hard things, things we just don't understand, things that are uncomfortable, and painful. But that's just it... through OUR eyes, these things are "dust." Through GOD's eyes, these things are beautiful, or are being made to be beautiful.
Some lyrics from Gungor's song Beautiful Things describe this:
You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
Thank you, God, for making us new, and for making things beautiful, even when we don't understand. As we experience these things in Haiti, in those moments we feel sad, when we just don't understand why, help us to have faith that you are making us new. You make beautiful things!
Today, after we did the aforementioned devotional and listened to the song, we had the opportunity to experience something beautiful. We had the privilege of taking kids from Grace Village to the beach to swim and have a picnic lunch together. These kids, all with their individual stories, coming from situations we could never understand...having fun, relaxing, feeling refreshed! It was wonderful!
When we first got there, many of the kids were very nervous in the water. I took one little boy into the water who was wearing a life jacket, but was very apprehensive about going in. He was hanging onto me for dear life! If I moved just a little bit, he squeezed harder. Then, not even 5 minutes later, he simply let go of me without any prompting. He looked at me and just leaned back and...relaxed. I just loved seeing the transformation from complete fear, to complete trust.
I so enjoyed just looking around and seeing our team members, each doing something different, from helping a child into a life jacket, to just sitting with a child and looking out at the water. I looked one way and saw an older teenage boy with water wings on, having a blast (how cute is that?), and looked another way and saw a girl on the porch, learning to play the ukulele with an amazingly patient and helpful guardian from Grace Village. Beautiful things. Thank you, God.
Michelle
Below are some pictures from our day:
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteWhat is ironic about your post is that it is in and of itself a beautiful thing. What can possibly witness your words better than the smile on that cute little girl's face as she lays back in the water, hands behind her head.
"Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God — what is good and well-pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2)
That little cutie in her polka dot swimsuit is perfect, and so is your team's ministry. You all are conducting yourselves in love.
"Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer." (Romans 12: 10-12)
With all my thanks and admiration,
Kevin
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful responses and encouragement, Kevin! You are a blessing, as is your daughter!
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