The Beauty....

"Mommy, do they have stickers in Africa?" my Grace asked.
"Um.....I didn't see any. I'm sure they do though."
After some thought, she continues, "It's got to hurt those kids...walking on their bare feet like they do...."

I smile weakly and think, I'm sure it does.

I received an email this week from a young man I came to know while in Uganda. We met briefly at the M's (the children's prison). He spoke English. He was 18. His name was Kiyemba Walter Trevor....I spoke with him for just a moment, and after a short introduction, he was already a kindred spirit.....warning me of some boys who were talking about stealing my things....telling me about his school and love for art and drawing (kindred spirit indeed!).....describing how he came to live for the past two weeks in this one room prison with 30 other boys.....and when I gave him my bible, he cried that it was the 'best day of his life'.

There was so much beauty in that moment. Beauty I'll never be able to describe. It didn't come from me, or even him necessarily. It came from being directly, immediately, in the stark center of God's will. Doing exactly what He purposed me to do....using these inexperienced hands to fulfill a prayer from Walter who had prayed just days earlier for a bible of his own.

I miss that. In the days of this Christmas season, I find that there is nothing I'd rather think about or talk about or read about, than that very subject. Trying to figure out how to be brave. Bold. The Matthew 16:25 kind of bold....."for whoever tries to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

The ability to lose your life, but find it. The Beauty of being in His fullness.

Grace asked that question because she knows it has been on my mind. She, in her own way, is trying to bond with me, figure me out, share an experience with me - it's sweet. I hope this Christmas, she'll understand why mommy kind of gets quiet everynow and then.

Beauty in Pictures....

The Source of the Nile (the very beginning of this beautiful river)

Preparing Our Meal - no granite, no fancy cookware, but look at her smile.

Beautiful.