Last week I met some people that changed me.
The rare kind where one is changed
genuinely.
The kind of change where
something deep inside in an area rarely accessed at least cognitively, is
touched – moved – shaken – changed.
Sometimes those changes are loud and wet and emotional and everyone
knows about it.
Other times there is a
profound minor degree – a minor shift of a personal cosmic universe
You might ask what these people did, or what I did.
I didn’t do much.
They ran to me, smiled, held my hand, and
wanted my attention.
I went along with
it and helped put together a puzzle, then took a picture.
I guess the only way these simple gestures can be a catalyst
to this kind of change is if they come from spec
ial people.
These two little boys are certainly special
in my mind.
Gabriel, the one in the blue shirt, was born with fetal
alcohol syndrome.
His motor skills are
lacking and his attention span is extremely limited.
He is 7 years old.
He randomly points and grunts and tried to
draw my attention to things I had no clue what he was pointing at.
Ben, in the white, is also 7.
When he was four his father tried to kill him
and dropped him into a pot of boiling water.
He has burn scars all over his body and struggles with walking and
balance.
He doesn’t speak either, but communicates in his own way.
He was
thrilled to put together one of those wooden puzzles with the little plastic
knobs on each piece.
Every animal and
car was a victory, but he needed a lot of help for a 7 year old.
I can’t tell you much more about these kids, but the people
who take care of them can.
A man and
wife living in
Swaziland
decided a few years ago that enough was enough.
They started taking in abandoned and abused kids.
Last year they had 14.
Now it’s 28.
Toddlers come running for a hug from any visitor coming in
the door.
A newborn brought from
Mozambique and
abandoned finds her way to the home as well.
Every child has a story, and more importantly every child has a name –
and a mom and dad and a staff of people who care for them.
The ABC home – Abandoned Babies for Christ – is a safe haven
for kids and a place for some of the rest of us to be changed.
