leap

I laugh.

They giggle.

I pick them up.

They hang on tight.

I squeeze tight.

They squeeze tighter.

I kiss their forehead.

They trace the lines on my face.

I hold their hands and kiss them.

They play with my hair.
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If you have ever been to Kenya, Africa; you know what it’s like to hear “mzungu” every time you step outside, like a soothing chorus that never ends. You may also know what it feels like to kiss the hands of Jesus’ most precious children. 

Before we came for the first time in the summer of 2009, we were told that here they see white people at “better” and “richer”, and that many would desire to touch us so that our “whiteness” would “rub off” onto them. 

The first time I was bombarded and smothered by children screaming and pulling on my arms and clothes, honestly I was a little overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure how to take it all in. Is it even possible to take something like that in?

The answer? No, it’s impossible to take it all in. 

I have officially spent (about) 71 days (give or take a few) total here since that very first day in Masii. And I can definitively answer that with a no, it’s impossible to get used to it. YES, it IS the most amazing feeling in the whole world. When a child who isn’t the same color as you, and doesn’t speak the same language, sees you and run as fast their little legs can run and leap into your arms, no you don’t get used to it and yes it’s the most joyful feeling in the world. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday, I enter the compound of school around 7:55 am, always nervous but always excited about what the day will hold. As I enter, the children are praying or singing a beautiful hymn for their daily morning assembly. I am elated, I love this part, they don’t know I am there, and they sing loud and pray with all their might. Then they are dismissed, I smile because I cannot wait for what comes next. Some go to the bathroom, some see me, and run towards me, (most the preschoolers) run straight into me (almost knocking me over), pulling on my skirt, fingers, arms, screaming “Teacher Mwende, Teacher Mwende”. I close my eyes for a split second, taking it all in, realizing this is a moment, I CANNOT take for granted. I open my eyes and say “Mambo” and they scream “Poa” as loud as they can. I laugh and they laugh louder.

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 Matthew 9:20-22 – And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

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These children (at school) know that I will NOT push them away when they run to me. They know that when they run to me, I will scoop them up, and tickle them until they are squirming too much for me to hold them any longer. 

We need to truly believe that Jesus will NEVER push us away when we run to Him.

Jesus has called us into His grace, ushered us into His mercy, and blanketed us in His love. He desires us to be the diseased woman who had enough faith that she knew that all she needed to do was touch the hem of his cloak. He desires us to live that faith out in our lives every single day. He desires us to open our eyes every morning and seek His face and have faith to know that we can be HEALED by simply touching the hem of this cloak. He can (and already has) healed us from sin and brokenness. We need to ask for it, He knows we need it but when sin entered the world, so did free choice and asking for healing is something we need to choose. We need to be willing to get on our knees and beg for the holiness of God to heal our iniquities every day. 

We need to have faith that by simply touching the hem of his cloak, that that is enough power of the most horrific diseases. Jesus died so that we may live, but the only way we can live is through Him. Our necessities in life are shelter, food, and water. The bible says (shelter-Psalm 91:1), (food and water-John 6:35).

If Jesus is clearly all we need to live, why are we attempting to “touch-the-cloak” of things that we think can heal us, when really they don’t even have a hem of a cloak to touch. (That’s supposed to be poetic but really I don’t think it makes sense) 

Our God is good. 

We need to step into holiness and recognize that we are only as broken as long as we allow ourselves to be, until we can admit that we need the Lord of all Lords to capture our heart and hold us close and to heal our brokenness.

So like these children, we need to be unafraid and abandon all feelings as you leap into the arms of Jesus. Like me with these children, He desires to hold you close, and make you laugh, it brings Him great joy to see you be joyful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Why fret, when we serve a God who heals because of our faith to simply touch the hem of His cloak?

(*note* I am not saying I am Jesus, I just got a VERY clear picture of running into the arms of Jesus as I picked up, cuddled, and loved on my students at Masii Academy today)
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I laugh.

They giggle.

I pick them up.

They hang on tight.

I squeeze tight.

They squeeze tighter.

I kiss their forehead.

They trace the lines on my face.

I hold their hands and kiss them.

They play with my hair.

I can’t help but take it in as I realize, this CANNOT be a moment I want to take for granted.