Unto The Least Of These ……

With the breaking day, a hint of the sun rising in the east, a gentle wafting of the trade winds that have been tamed in the night, and the sound of the sea breaking on the shore, we rise. From a hot cup of coffee early in the morning to the last neighbor tended in the night, our hearts and our days are filled with the riches that pass not away!

Early Morning

Our hands are busy and our time is full as we continue our work with the schools in the mountains, begin the task of building poultry houses (both in the mountains and on IAV there is a severe protein deficiency), providing men with jobs through the use of the sawmill, and treating the medical needs with which the people are always coming to us. On Ile a Vache we need better boats for fishing offshore, to use as an ambulance service, and to reach out to the smaller out lying islands.  The tasks at hand are many.

People Lined up to receive medication for Chikungunya

However it’s in the moment by moment interaction with the people, our neighbors, and all those God leads us to and all He brings to us, holding a small sick child on my lap to comfort her and give her medicine, bandaging the wounded, working by my brothers side, and praying for the healing of hearts. This is where I’m blessed as I work here in Haiti.

Our neighbor Pauline came for medication one day. She had the Chikungunya virus, a pleasant mother of two who visits us often at the house. At the end of the long day, almost twilight, I was prompted to go over to her house and check on her. No light within told me they had gone to bed but we knocked at the rude door of her hut anyway. At their answer we entered and I found her in their one small bed with her two children, ages 12 and 5.

She was almost delirious with fever so I stayed for a time, sitting by her side on the edge of the bed, holding her hand and speaking words of comfort. We found some water and cloth and I made a compress and I bathed her head for a while. The water was warm and I remembered we had some water in the small freezer at home. A quick walk home and back to sit at her side with a cold drink and ice for a compress to reduce her fever. The cool damp rag soothed her and helped her rest as I passed it over her head and face, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead and eyes. The words rang in my ears, “Even so you have done it unto Me.”   Was I indeed tending the needs of the Savior?

As I walked the wooded path home late that night my heart was full with the treasure of heaven.     “I came that you might have life.”     It’s moments like these I find life welling up within me….And to bed for the breaking of a new day!

Lord make us sensitive to the needs of those around us and help us not hurry by, busy with the projects of this world. Let us understand this day just how we go about “laying up our treasure in heaven” and help us not fear to make the investment, our very lives. Make us strong and give us courage to be like You. For did You not hear our cry and at great cost reach down out of heaven and fill our need? Thank You for all You have done and all You are doing to bring us home to Your heart.

(JUST MERCY continues to minister to “the least of these” on a daily basis as we work on things to help the neighbors improve their lives and build bridges to hearts for Jesus.  To be able to continue, we need friends to hold us up in prayer and to give to help with expenses.  If you can, please do so at www.justmercy.org.  We pray God turns your hearts to help.  May He bless all our lives as we follow hard after Him.)