The Summer edition is about CHLA's global commitment to care for children world-wide and as I got to thinking about this, I started thinking about how wonderful this hospital and their staff have been to us. The doctors there are the real deal and they honestly care about Sarah... she's not a number or a payment to them... they truly care.
Not only did I start thinking about that, but when I think of Sarah's health, I always turn back to China and the people who rescued Sarah to begin with. Dr. Joyce and Robin Hill from the New Hope Foundation (aka, Hope Foster Home) are two of the most amazing people we've ever had the honor to meet and I cannot tell you enough how much they have impacted our lives.
I also think back on all the wonderful people who carried her story to us, prayed for her, volunteered their time and services for her and it softens my heart each time I think about what God did to get her here. I always wonder what He has in store for her, given that the beginning of her life started off with so many obvious "God-moments."
She talks now, non-stop... even stutters a bit because she's trying to say so much so fast that she can't possibly get it all out at the same time. We've been having long conversations about little things, but the most remarkable conversations I've had with her are always about Jesus. She seems to have a keen understanding of who Jesus is - and although we talk about Jesus quite a bit, it's still interesting to me that she brings Him up in conversation a lot - just out of the blue. "Momma, Jesus in your heart? Jesus in Daddy's heart? Momma, Jesus in my heart too. He sleeping in my heart." "Momma, Jesus in car with us? He sitting right there? He buckled?" "Momma, Jesus hold my hand. He hold your hand too?" "Momma, Jesus here? Jesus with us?" And when we sit down to a meal together, many times, it is she that reminds us to pray as she holds out her little hands.
A couple of my most favorite people in the whole wide world!
I think God sends people into our lives to help us grow in our faith... whether it's the nasty ol' lady down the hall who you can't stand because she smells like smoke and is always complaining about something or another... or whether it's the pastor's wife who would bend over backward to help you tie your shoes - they each have a role to play to strengthen and bolster your walk.
Sarah, although only 2 and has no idea of what it means to "grow in your faith," has quickly become a large part of why I need to grow in my faith. She won't be asking me these Jesus questions for long, accepting my answers so readily. One of these days, she's going to answer them for herself and I am quickly learning that the way I react in my most stressful, "everyday" moments with her characterizes who I am in even my most loving "everyday" moments with her. If she can't see Jesus in me when I'm stressed, then seeing Jesus in me when I'm not doesn't mean a whole lot, does it?
A sobering thought for me as I continue to walk down a road plagued by my own human frailities, weaknesses and great imperfections. I only hope that we can teach Sarah as much about grace as we hope to teach her about faith!
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