Loving on Jacque

Today as I went to church, I didn't expect to see my sweet seven year old friend, Jacque, with a swollen shut and red eye. I didn't expect tears to come to my own eyes when I saw him. I didn't expect to walk with him with his hand in mine the whole way home, he never leaving my side. I didn't expect my heart to ache each time I saw him looking down in Sunday school, when he is almost always laughing and smiling along with the others. I didn't expect him to look at me with those eyes as if saying it hurts.

I didn't expect my heart to filled with an immense amount of love that I couldn't even handle it myself.

 My heart has never been so broken. When you see others in pain you feel bad for them. When you see someone you've come to love in pain, you feel the pain yourself. You do anything you can to try and help. Whether it's taking them to the hospital or holding their small, tiny hand in yours and never letting go.

If there's one thing I've learned while being here in Togo, is that you can't love these people on your own. There's no way possible that I can love these people. The only way possible is through Christ in me. It's not easy to love. I could say the opposite is true. Today I had to love through Christ because every part of me wanted to be angry at whatever caused the pain for my sweet friend; yet, Christ called me to love him for that moment. 

This reminds me of Jesus and the small children. The disciples saw the children coming, running with excitement to Jesus; yet, the disciples rebuke them and tell them to leave him alone. At this, Jesus becomes ferious at them and yells, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (Mark 10:14) He then takes the children into his arms and loves them with blessings.

This has become one of my favorite stories since I've been here in Togo. The children here are what draw me to this place, because otherwise, I would not be here. Being away from home isn't easy. But seeing and hearing about children being killed for satanic worship is worse. So many of them have no choice but to follow these practices as they grow up because it's all they are exposed to. Yet, their souls are at risk of being punished for eternity. If my life on earth is but a flash, I'm willing to give everything to love the least of these.

In loving Jacque today, I learned that all it takes to love a child is plenty of hugs, laughing, and letting them lay in your lap while holding their hand as you read them a book. It's that easy.

The affect, however, is eternal. 

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With human beings this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."' (Mark 10:27)


"Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger." (Psalm 8:2)