This Is The Girl

There is a girl whose name I may never know, but whose face I will never forget. 

It was a sunny day (as usual) in Zambia, and particularly hot. We started the morning off by running a kids camp at the local school. Don't be deceived by the term kids camp, it was not something that we trained for, we did not have materials ready, or t-shirts made. None of that. We had a parachute, some balls, a few frisbees, and a lot of smiles. When it is known that a group of muzungus (white people) are in the area and are coming to the school, all of the kids find out. Before we could even leave our property, we were surrounded by kids who had walked down the hill from the school to find us. So, we began walking towards the school. And that's exactly when everything changed.

On this particular day, my energy was low and I was probably dehydrated. If I'm real with you, I was not very excited to do this kids camp. It was hotter outside than normal and there was no shade where we were going. I was exhausted. Dressed in a t-shirt that I had worn for days, with my hair in a messy bun, and water bottle in hand, I started walking along the dirt road that had become familiar at this point. Within moments, I saw a girl next to me. She looked up, smiled, and reached for my hand. She did not know english, she did not say a word. 

The next 5 minutes were some of the most transformational moments of that whole trip. As I write this, I fail to put these next few moments into words. No matter what I say, I cannot convey the depth of it all. These next few moments were so fast, so simple, and yet so profound that they turned my perspective on life completely upside down. 

I wasn't "feeling it" at all that day or in that moment but I decided to take the chance to pray for this girl. I was praying in my heart and in my spirit when God spoke. Nothing has ever been so clear to me but I knew that this was God. He said, "This. This is how it's supposed be." 

What? What's supposed to be like this, God? 

"Missions. Ministry. Life. This."

What do you mean, God?

"It's simple. Walk with people. Hold their hand. Pray for them. You don't need words. You don't need to do anything. Just be willing to live life next to them, sometimes that's all they need to feel My touch."

Woah. Yeah, God just said that (He does speak directly to us, He does). I almost started crying, no joke. I asked Him, "Why did I have to come to Africa to hear that from you? Why did I have to come all this way to finally understand it? I knew it but I don't think I got it fully until now." He so clearly said, "Because you weren't getting it where you were at. But this is it. This is how it's supposed to be."

Woah, again. A walk up a dirt road with a girl who never said a word changed my life. God used this moment with this child to speak immensely into my heart that day. That day, I started to get it. I started to realize how simple all of this is. You see, there were hundreds (I kid you not) of children following us up that hill that day. Most were screaming and laughing. Some were running past us. But there was no need to rush.

For those 5 minutes, that girl didn't need someone preaching to her. She didn't need someone asking her about her life. She didn't need anyone to play a game with her or even have a conversation. She needed someone to hold her hand. She needed someone to not say a word. She needed someone who wouldn't let go. She needed someone to walk with her. 

For those 5 minutes, all that mattered to that girl was that I was there, I was walking, and I wasn't letting go. She didn't know that I was praying for her. She didn't know the depth (and simplicity) of what God was speaking to me during that time. All she knew was that I was present, I was with her, and I was there. Isn't that how it's supposed to be? (yes, it is. God already told me that.)

This is it, friends. Some call it missions and ministry...I call it loving others. I call it stopping and loving one person at a time where they are at. I call it slowing down. I call it living life. Because that's what it is, that's how Jesus did it. He walked this earth and lived His life and all of His "ministry" and miracles and disciple making came out of that. So aren't we supposed to do the same?

Whether it's answering a phone call in the middle of night, letting someone pour their heart out to you, sitting silence, or walking up a dirt road, it's really not all that complicated. 

This is the girl who did nothing but hold my hand and walk up a hill with me. This is the girl, who's name I never got to know. This is the girl who God used to speak to me that day. This is the girl, the girl that taught me that maybe this thing called life and missions isn't so complicated after all. This is the girl.