Orlando

There’s a lot of lessons to be learned here, but I didn’t expect the first one to come within minutes of being here. When we arrived, my cell was was down, there was no internet and we weren’t ready to start projects. There was no agenda and nothing specific to do. We began to play with kids on the playground and start small games here and there.

Somehow I ended up with a little boy named Orlando. In a few short minutes of swinging on the swings, I felt God prick my heart. I was COMPLETELY present with that little boy. There were no phone calls to make, no email to check, no blog to write, and no house to clean. I just swang with that little boy in my arms and didn’t have one thought of what else I should be doing. I was physically, emotionally, and mentally with a boy that I had just met and will leave in a few days and I couldn’t remember the last time I gave that type of attention to my own kids.

What a momentary and riveting realization! And in America we are all guilty. We are the busiest and most mentally divided people and we all do it with the greatest of intentions. None of us intend to have our focus in so many directions and yet we take pride in our multi-tasking abilities.

I can’t wait to go home and swing my daughters on the swings. I will be swinging with a new perspective given to me by a little Mexican orphan named Orlando.

5 comments
  1. Rachael said:

    So funny I prayed for that very thing for you & for myself this week. Being present in the moment & enjoying all that God has for us right NOW!! Love you!

  2. Dan Priest said:

    Good word.

  3. lisa said:

    Perfect. I was just thinking this morning during devotions, that we need to make sure that our attitude towards the people here is not, “You are needy & I have come here to help you” (an attitude of superiority, which is very easy to fall into) but rather “You are blessed of God. What can I learn from you today?”

    • mike said:

      I find it funny that here we are in the middle of nowhere, and a woman can post a blog, and the first comment on the post is another woman in our group in the middle of nowhere. Ain’t technology grand? …having a blast here in the middle of somewhere special with everyone here!

      • mike said:

        oh, I see now that she was third, ah, well!

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