Grateful Vs Pity party

 

Daisy – she is a pretty little shy cuttie. When you’re not looking she is laughing and talking with the other kids. She is usually seated with Sharif, who sits in one spot almost all day, gazing. His eyes filled with pain and sadness. Not a single sound comes from his mouth. Oh! Only apart from when he cries due to some discomfort. His silence and drooped head almost make you think that he knows his story. He is barely two. He was abandoned at a market.

Daisy and Sharif are two kids I met at an orphanage I visited about a week or so back. They belong to a family of more than 90 orphaned/abandoned kids. They live in a three bed roomed residential house under the care of their 'mother.' This building is used for board, classes, dining…everything. Like the name of this orphanage, looking at them, their condition, they surely live and survive by God’s grace.

These children have totally worn out filthy sponge for mattresses, are sharing them 4 to 1, have beans that are swimming or drowning in lots of water for lunch, barely have teachers or scholastic materials and a living in a house that could as well crumble and yet they are happy and living each day as it comes.

Sure they must be having dreams of their own, of a better life, better conditions but when you look at them; playing, trying to do their school work, eating, helping out with the chores … you see children that are content, grateful, happy and do not look like they will be holding a pity party anytime soon. And the other thing that really touched me to the core of my heart, I’ve never seen children as prayerful as the children at God’s Grace Orphanage.

Here I am periodically grumbling, complaining, arguing with God about all sorts of things that aint that right in my life, things that didn’t go right in the past that should have, fussing and harboring disappointments and all sorts of other things when there are kids out there that would gladly be me if they could. They are in a seemingly hopeless situation but are not complaining and are still crying out to God with thanksgiving for the ‘miserable’ lives they have. Still believing that He has got there back and that things will be better. They are counting their blessing even when to us there seems nothing much to count. No wonder you got to have childlike faith to enter the kingdom of heaven.

And the rest of us are too busy sorting our own lives, trying to chase our dreams, trying to figure life out and be all that when there are people in our communities that are living lives that we wouldn’t even imagine living ourselves. Sometimes it’s not that you have to drop these people a million or two (of course it would do them good, lol) but sometimes the best thing we can give them is our time and friendship. Let them know that they are not on their own and are not surrounded by animals disguised as humans.

Love is the best gift you’ll ever give and I believe it’s the only thing that will heal our communities, nations, and the world.

Children like Daisy and Sharif (plus adults too) do need the material things but what they really need is to feel loved. They didn’t choose their circumstances. And they are going to go through life searching like we all are; searching for affection, attention, care…..Love.

What are you and I doing about that?    …. Well, apart form failing to count our blessings….