There she was in all her anger, lashing out at everyone around her. I noticed her instantly. She was the uncontrollable 12 yr old girl who was running throughout the classroom hitting boys in the face, wreaking havoc all over the place. I knew at that moment that she was the little Dominican girl I wanted to especially reach out to. I was instantly filled with an overwhelming sense of love for her.
The young girl’s name is Grehme and her life was changed by Love.
Grehme was full of hate when I met her and full of love when I had to leave her. The day I first saw her, she was acting out of anger and bitterness. After I saw her hit her 5th victim, I walked up to her. Wanting desperately to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I gave her a hug. I held her tight but gently. She fought my hug with all her might. As I hugged her, I repeated over and over again in Spanish that I loved her and that she was beautiful. With each sentence of truth that I spoke over her, she fought me less and less. Eventually she stopped swinging and fighting. Eventually she even settled into my hug and allowed me to hold her. Then, I felt one little hand on my lower back. Shortly thereafter, the other hand. She was hugging me back. I couldn’t believe it. The little girl, this great fighter, was hugging me back.
And thus began a changed life thanks to Love.
The rest of my time with Grehme was unforgettable. She was no longer fighting and no longer yelling or hitting anyone. She became a delightful student, ready for involvement. She wouldn’t leave my side. If I was in the vicinity, she was right next to me. She was receiving my love and loving me back. I saw a complete transformation in her life and I knew it was because she had let Love in. For a moment she let her walls down.
My favorite part of my time with Grehme was our last day together. The entire day was filled with the looming sadness of leaving one another. It was also filled with her new obsession with a doll she had brought to school that day. I’d never seen the doll before, but she was acting like it was a real baby. If anyone tried to take it from her, she would cling to her baby doll and tuck it in tight for safety. At the end of the day when the moment came for us to say our goodbyes, I finally asked about the doll. She told me that her doll’s name was Lindsey and it was her best friend. I had to fight back tears. This little girl changed my life, though I thought I would be the one having an impact on the children in the Dominican Republic.
The young girl’s name is Grehme and her life was changed by Love.
Grehme was full of hate when I met her and full of love when I had to leave her. The day I first saw her, she was acting out of anger and bitterness. After I saw her hit her 5th victim, I walked up to her. Wanting desperately to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I gave her a hug. I held her tight but gently. She fought my hug with all her might. As I hugged her, I repeated over and over again in Spanish that I loved her and that she was beautiful. With each sentence of truth that I spoke over her, she fought me less and less. Eventually she stopped swinging and fighting. Eventually she even settled into my hug and allowed me to hold her. Then, I felt one little hand on my lower back. Shortly thereafter, the other hand. She was hugging me back. I couldn’t believe it. The little girl, this great fighter, was hugging me back.
And thus began a changed life thanks to Love.
The rest of my time with Grehme was unforgettable. She was no longer fighting and no longer yelling or hitting anyone. She became a delightful student, ready for involvement. She wouldn’t leave my side. If I was in the vicinity, she was right next to me. She was receiving my love and loving me back. I saw a complete transformation in her life and I knew it was because she had let Love in. For a moment she let her walls down.
My favorite part of my time with Grehme was our last day together. The entire day was filled with the looming sadness of leaving one another. It was also filled with her new obsession with a doll she had brought to school that day. I’d never seen the doll before, but she was acting like it was a real baby. If anyone tried to take it from her, she would cling to her baby doll and tuck it in tight for safety. At the end of the day when the moment came for us to say our goodbyes, I finally asked about the doll. She told me that her doll’s name was Lindsey and it was her best friend. I had to fight back tears. This little girl changed my life, though I thought I would be the one having an impact on the children in the Dominican Republic.
1 comment:
oh wow-
that brought tears to my eyes. what a precious child of God- and what an awesome connection God gave you! keep being you- keep changing lives for Him!
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