Blessing

I briefly mentioned while in Kenya a little 2 year old named Blessing. We were there to be part of rescuing her from a very bad situation in the slums and bringing her to a new beginning with the Mattaw family. There is a LOT to her story, but I wanted to just share what has been stuck in my head.

A couple of hours before going to get her, she was in her doorway, no clothes on, asleep and covered in her own poop. It was not a pretty situation.  When we walked intoj this tiny mud hut there was a social worker holding Blessing. She was listening to worship music while sitting  on the bed with Esnas, Blessing's mom, who was barely living at the time. When Kim asked her how it was going she said this, "We are just worshiping the Lord."

It was simple and true. You could tell she meant it. You could see that is what she was doing...worshiping the Lord. Yes it was a bad situation. HIV, sex for food, generations dying from trying to survive, yet she was worshiping the Lord.

A lot of things go through your mind in bad situations. On Tuesday, I went from having a fun run, hanging out with my family, Skyping my parents, to packing what you can think of very quickly as you saw the fire coming down the mountain, fighting the smoke and ash to head east away from danger along with 32,000 other evacuations, to hearing the news reports of 346 houses burned from the fire and wondering what I should have grabbed and how hundreds of lives will be very different tomorrow.

Thinking everything you own could be burned in flames really lets you know where your heart is. Though at first I wished I would've brought Cap's first footprints, or hospital bracelets, or even his first painting, my heart then went to freedom. Everything we have would fit in one car. We were free to roam. Though no matter what lies in our household, we are free, it just became different. My treasure lies in heaven where dust and moth can't destroy it.

I guess what rested in my mind was 'worship the Lord'. Yes the situation isn't good, but I will worship the Lord for He is most worthy of praise!

Last night our house made the ' you may return to your house' list by one street. Since it was late, we spent one more night at the hotel and came this morning. It felt surreal coming back, looking at the mountain and houses and smoke still arising in some areas. The smell of smoke triggered many pictures in my head of that evening getting out of our place.

We are so thankful to return to a house and bed and lots of rocks for Cap to play with. Our hearts are sad for the 346 families who lost their homes one of those families going to our church with us and others working with my in-laws. We are so sorry for your lost.

Thank you for your prayers. May we worship the Lord through the good and the ugly!