Love Never Fails

I had the opportunity this past week to go to a home for malnourished kids, go to Hermano Pedro Hospital for special needs orphans, go to Kairo's Christian School for kids who desperately need to be shown the love of Jesus, and I played with many, many kids on our street. All of which have helped me to be so very thankful of all I have. All of which have helped me to see a glimpse of our God's own heart.

Tonight as I was reading my Bible,a verse stuck out to me: Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." I have been given much; much is expected of me. I have a healthy, working body, I have been shown an undying love from my Jesus, I get 3 solid meals a day, I have a beautiful house to protect me every night, I have more than enough clothes to wear each week, and I have 2 Bibles from which I have the freedom to read about our incredible God. I have been entrusted with the story of our incredible Jesus to tell others about it. It is my responsibility to help those who are in need, to help those who are less fortunate than I am.

I think of severely malnourished Andrea at Casa Jackson. He was 1 year and 4 months old and VERY skinny. He would point to the coat you had to wear to hold him and would want you to just sit and hold him tightly for as long as you could. He only wanted attention, to be touched, to feel safe, to be able to trust. He would cry any time you would put him down but would stop immediately if you picked him back up again. How much has he suffered in his short little life! I can't imagine that much pain in a whole lifetime, let alone only 1 year and 4 months.

I think of the kids that attend Kairo's School who have no hope of a future. Their families only know to get married at really young ages, work the bean plantation, and have literally next to nothing. The struggle not only for the parents to keep their kids alive and healthy, but also the families that are broken because of lack of education and the knowledge of an amazing God is unbearable. I know I have a bright future because I'm almost finished with my schooling and Ihave the love of Jesus in me.

I think of my little Genaro at Hermano Pedro Hospital that doesn't have a working body. I can tell he is so smart, but never is given a chance because he just can't seem to get his body to do what he asks it to do. He works SO incredibly hard to say "hola" when I ask him to, he works so hard to put up his own arm so I can tickle his armpit,and he works so hard to stick out his tongue when I ask him where his lengua is.

Everyone of these kids have been failed. Andrea has been failed to have the food and likely the attention he needs as a 1 year old who is learning and experiencing the world for the first time. The kids at Kairo's school have been failed at having been shown hope. They don't believe they have bright futures because they get stuck in this sick cycle that is seemingly impossible to get out of. Genaro and the kids at Hermano Pedro have been failed in getting a working body and having the chance at life because of physical disabilities and no family that is able to help.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the definition of love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." This also helps define God because God is love. In verse 8, "Love never fails." Though this world will always fail, though it always lacks, love will never fail; God will never fail. God will never fail in showing love and affection to sweet Andrea even though he may not see it now, there is hope of a bright future for the kids at Kairo's, Genaro is perfect in God's eyes and God knows every little thought and action that is in little Genaro's head...even when he can't communicate it himself.

Much has been given to me, so much is expected. I am supposed to help share Christ's love to these people. I am to be that city on a hill that shines light for my Jesus. I am to help the least of these because I am to share the love of Christ; I have been called to do it...but it's not always easy.

Sometimes it's hard for me to see all that He has planned for me because I am only 17. I get intimidated by those older than me... Sometimes it's hard thinking of the difference I can make because I don't have much experience in life. But God reminds me it's okay in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." I am to set an example in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't have the same God in me that Moses did. The very same God that parted the Red Sea lives in me! I don't have to be afraid because my God is always with me. I don't have to be afraid because His love never fails.

So while there are many people even within the radius of 1 mile of my home will go to bed tonight with an empty belly, while Andrea will struggle to keep his food down and regain his strength and trust in people, while the kids at Kairo's struggle to fight the cycle this world has set up for them, while Genaro will go to sleep tonight without a Mommy to hold him tight and without the working body he might covet, my God will never fail them. They are His and He is theirs. "The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few." There is so much need around the world that most people are ignorant of but very few people who listen to the call to help. These are the least of these. These are which He feels the stomach pains screaming to be fed, He feels the loneliness and neglect from lack of a working body, He feels unimportant because of the life already mapped out for them. He feels it all because they are the apple of His eye. He will never fail them because He knows what it feels like to be neglected....He came to earth to bring hope. He is good because His love can surpass any pain that this world brings us because He is good and because He is enough.