The Little Things

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

I’ve always loved this quote from one of my favorite books, the classic Anne of Green Gables, because I truly relish the month of October with the beauty of the changing leaves and the anticipation of the first snow fall (which normally takes place in Northwest PA during the month of October J ).  However this year, the world I now live in held a very different October for me, one full of birds singing and flowers beginning to bud on the trees.  Yes, spring is in the air here and the heat of the summer season that will soon be upon us has already begun to be felt.  As I reflect back on this month and all of the changes it has brought, I am truly glad for this October as different as it has been.  As I mentioned in my last post, life has been difficult recently, but among all of the challenges, I’ve been seeing the goodness of God in the little things. 

Through different conversations, “coincidences”, and cards, I’ve been blessed with how God truly shows His love through the little things.  Today I’d like to share with you a few of these that have really reminded me that God is not just the God of the “big” things, but He is sovereign over ALL things and I’ve been learning to look for reminders of His love in the little things. 

One of the first examples I’d like to share with you is a conversation that took place in a convenience store in town.  We had picked up the boys from school and Maycon had received a 10 cent piece from his teacher, so we stopped at the store so he could buy a piece of candy.  I went into the little street shop with him and the man who helped us looked at me and said, “You’re not from around here, are you.” I told him that I was from the States and was helping at the orphanage.  He replied that he thought so and then went on to ask me if I remembered Willian (he was one of the toddlers that was at the orphanage last year, but was adopted soon after I arrived).  I replied that I did indeed remember him and the man went on to tell me that it was he and his wife that had adopted Willian.  The man continued on to say that Willian is doing well and has brought so much happiness to their family.  As I walked back to the bus with Maycon and reflected on the exchange, I found myself smiling at the fact that I had successfully made small talk with a complete stranger in Portuguese, but more importantly I found joy in the reminder that the conversation provided that God has a plan and a future for each of these boys (even if it’s hard to see it in the day-to-day) and that Lord-willing, that might include a “forever family” for them.

Another reminder to me of God’s goodness was seen in a “coincidence” that happened last week.  On my day off, I had made an afternoon trip into town and was sitting at the post office waiting to mail some letters.  As I sat there, I was debating whether or not to just put my letters in the box out front (they already had the stamps on them) or to wait to give them to the clerk (which is normally what I do).  The line was particularly long that day and seeing as it had been over a month and a half since I had been to town to do errands and I still had several places to go, I was about to leave, but felt prompted to stay and wait.  Well, five minutes later, I felt a tap on my shoulder.  I was obviously a bit surprised and unsure of who I would find when I turned around considering I wasn’t back home at my local post office where it wouldn’t be odd to run into someone I knew, but here in Brasil, who could possibly be tapping me on the shoulder at the post office here?!  I tentatively turned around and much to my relief, I saw Gerson standing there (the director of the orphanage).  After saying hello to each other, he then proceeded to show me how to retrieve the mail from our post office box and told me where the key is kept at the home, but more importantly than that, when he retrieved the mail there happened to be a package notification for me in the mailbox.  As I left the post office that day, package and my letters in hand, I found myself so thankful that I had stayed and truly believe it was not by chance that we happened to both be there at the same time.  You see, not only was the care package I received a bit larger, but I also had to pay a significant amount of money to pick it up (gotta love Brasilian taxes and fees).  Had I not been there and Gerson had to have been the one to pick up the package, he probably would not have had the money (nor would have wanted to pay as much as it was) and it could have potentially made for some misunderstandings as far as cultural sensitivities go.  It’s hard to explain, but just trust me on this one, I definitely didn’t see it as a coincidence that I was there when he received notification of the box and I was certainly thankful for God’s provision in allowing this encounter to take place.  Not to mention the actual box, which was full of a bunch of things that reminded me of home and was a physical reminder of God’s blessings J

Finally, I’d like to share a very dear example to me of how God truly shows His goodness in the littlest things and that often they can mean the most.  A few weeks ago, I had some inquiries from two friends about if I needed anything or wanted them to send something down.  My reply was that unless they could send a hug from my mom through the mail, I really didn’t need anything.   Fast forward to a few days later when Gerson brings me a few letters that had come for me.  One of them was from my mom and this is what I saw when I opened it up:

 

With tears in my eyes, I looked at the date on the front and saw that it was mailed a few days before I had replied to my friends that all I wanted was a hug from my mom.  Yes, God in His goodness did indeed send a hug from my mom through the mail and that day it felt as though my heart would burst as I was once again reminded of His overwhelming love for me in the littlest of things. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” God so often pours out His blessings on me in the smallest details and everyday occurrences and I fail to thank Him or even recognize them at times.  So, I’m learning to look for Him in the little things and praising Him for all things. 

 

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

let the humble hear and be glad.
 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

 

I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.

 

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.

 The angel of the Lord encamps     

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,

for those who fear him have no lack!

-Psalm 34:1-9

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Definition of Difficult

When I wrote my last blog post, I thought life here at the home was difficult trying to care for the three boys I was responsible for.  Less than two weeks after sharing that post, my world was about to be rocked and “difficult” would take on a whole new meaning.  One month ago today, we received three brothers, Diogo, Kaua, and Maycon (ages 10, 5, and 4).  We knew there was a possibility they would come and I even mentioned it the last time I wrote, but what I never imagined is just how challenging these new boys would prove to be.  Kaua and Mayon are literally unlike any children I have ever met before (and I have worked with a lot of kids!).  These boys are extremely aggressive, sexually aware, fond of swear words, outright defiant, and have some serious destructive tendencies.  Within the past month, I have had to learn more Portuguese swear words than I would like to know, have had more than one chair thrown at me (and broken in the process), have had to break up too many fights to count, have been kicked, scratched, and hit numerous times (and still have the battle scars to prove it), and I have been peed and spit on more times than I care to admit in my struggles with these new boys.  And it has been difficult.  And after these boys came, I was once again ready to pack up my bags and leave thinking that this is pretty much impossible.  I just can’t handle these 6 boys on my own.  And that’s when He gently reminds me, I am not alone.  And I find myself clinging to the truth found in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Last month, not too long after these new boys arrived and on a day when I found myself completely overwhelmed, I read two different passages that I know was not by coincidence.  The Lord used them to both convict and challenge me.  The first was from the Dialogues of Fénelon, “Happy are they who are ready to accept everything; who never say, “It is too much”; who depend, not on themselves, but upon the Almighty.”  I must admit, after these new boys came, I found myself somewhat frustrated at the expectations that were placed on me to now have these 6 kids under my care and kids with extreme issues at that.  But I realized that this frustration came because I was relying on myself and trying to do it on my own strength, and was utterly failing.  That same day, I was also reading in 2 Corinthians and came across these verses that resonated so deeply within me.  In the first chapter, Paul is talking about the hardships they faced in Asia and says, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.”  Yes, life with these new boys was (and still is) difficult.  Most of the time, the challenges are so great that I feel beyond my ability to endure, but I know that God is using this time of trial so that I will learn to rely not on myself but on the only One who is able to see me through.  Once again, He causes me to come to the end of myself and recognize that apart from Him, I really can’t do it on my own.  I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I have set my hope on Him and trust in His faithfulness. 

 

 God does not ask us to do the things that are naturally easy for us– He only asks us to do the things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace, and that is where the cross we must bear will always come.

–Oswald Chambers