Dear Friends and Family:
It’s a gray cold day in Galaţi…not a leaf is left on any tree, at least from where I can see out my kitchen window. No leaves, gray leaden sky, crumbling apartment buildings…
Sort of depressing. Sorry, I’m ready for some warmth and sunshine. Last week in our community Bible study we were looking at Matthew 5 and the passage about salt and light (verses 13-16). I especially like how The Message lays out the verses about light: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand- shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
And I realized that the warmth I crave is not so very far away if I’m generous with my life, if I go public with the truth that our Father Himself is generous. As I’ve contemplated these verses I’ve realized how deep down I want to be a person who gives warmth, a byproduct of light. I want to be so generous with this light that it brings out the God-colors in others, in our world. I desire to be so warm that it will be no secret to others how generous God has been with me.
Yesterday I was outside playing with the kids at the center. The one little girl who is so special to me (lately she learned how to spell her name!) kept throwing her arms around me to keep warm. A year ago this little girl was so solemn she would hardly crack a smile, and here she was giving so generously of her hugs…seeking warmth, but also giving it. How truly generous God is to give this little girl to keep me warm on a cold day.
Please pray for this little girl. She has a long way to go to catch up to her grade-level in school. Right now we’re concentrating on teaching her how to count; it’s hard for her to get past 29 (the whole ones and tens place in numbers trips her up). As I’ve tried to teach her about the ones and tens place, I’ve used a diagram of a house that has rooms, a room for the ones and a room for the tens. Yesterday, all on her own (and even during art time!), she was drawing these houses with the rooms and telling me their names. In her own house she often hides under a bed from her drunken father. Funny how my heart can ache for and yet be so warmed by such a little girl. In school she is often marginalized by her teacher because she’s behind her peers (which one would think would garner extra attention), rarely talks, and is also a Roma. With us she knows she’s safe and she giggles and repeats silly little-girl phrases like this:
Her: Ce faci? (how are you?)
Me: Bine. (good)
Her: Și, mișto de tine (and cool, too!)
My hope is that our warmth will bring out the God-colors in her life. That the warmth she gives will be returned and her life will shine and others will see and praise their Father in Heaven. Maybe even now you are praising Him because of her.
And, speaking of warmth, I’ll be in the States in February! If you are living in California, please mark February 12 on your calendars because my sister JoAnna and her husband John will be hosting a gathering for people to come by, say hi, and also see what’s going on in Galaţi. We’ll also be having an gathering in Portland on February 21 hosted by my sister Elisabeth and her husband Jon. More details will be on the way…looking forward to filling up on lots of sunshine and love during these visits.
And so, stay warm.
Be warm.
Warmly,
April