Handing it over
Last Thursday night we attended a Haitian worship service in Vero Beach, FL. Because the members of the church were expecting us, part of the service consisted of songs that both the children in the church and the adults had prepared for our visit. As I was sitting there listening to three women sing a beautiful gospel hymn for us in a language that is not their own (English), a young 3 year-old Haitian girl came and sat on my lap.
She began playing with my hand, first putting her own in mine, trying to get my large hands to intertwine with her own. After she realized they wouldn’t quite fit, she had me wrap my entire hand around her own. Again, my hand was too big and hers too tiny. Next she grabbed my hand and had me hold her elbow. Nope, my hand wrapped around her thin arm with an inch to spare. Now both elbows. This time my hand wasn’t big enough. Finally she looked up at me with her big brown eyes, sighed and just leaned her entire body back and tucked her head underneath my chin. It seemed that if she couldn’t get my hand to fit with hers, she gave in to have her whole self ‘fit.’
I’ve been thinking of how many times I have done that with God. I try to get him to take over just one part of my life, get him to hold my hand. And when that doesn’t fit, I try to give him a different part. I resist handing over everything because it is hard to let go. Yet, it isn’t until I just surrender my whole self as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) that I can be truly at peace, that I can lean back and rest my head under His chin, knowing that He is in control. I still struggle with this daily, but it is little girls like my Haitian friend who remind me to let go…
Kelly
2 Comments:
Wow.
Isn't it amazing how God can use anyone (even a 3-year-old Haitian girl who doesn't speak your language) to speak to us, sometimes even without a word being spoken?
Thank you, Kelly, for listening to His message, and thank you for relaying it to us.
Kelly, I keep thinking about that picture of Steph and the little child in Haiti at Sam's orphage. I imagine life is like that... we do too often forget that God is wanting us to cuddle in His lap, play with large hands.. and trust. Thanks for trusting God Kelly, and all of you in Latreia. Thank you for loving and caring. Thank you for living.
DADBill
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