This week God has been teaching me a lot about the power of touch. As I have been interacting with the children I have been praying that they would feel God’s love through my touch. There have been several children this week who have simply needed extra attention. As I shared before about Kaita and the lack of affectionate love towards him, I know that this is an issue with so many (if not all) of the children at FHS. I strongly believe that this is one of the reasons so many of them act out, especially through fighting with and disrespecting one another.

Monday morning on my way to the center, I prayed that God would use me to encourage and love those children who especially needed it that day. I noticed one little girl who had been keeping to herself all morning and who seemed especially tired. I had something else I was on my way to do, but as I passed by her, God reminded me of my prayer as if to say, “You told me to show you those who need extra love and attention today, so that I can use you to give them that blessing. Here is one. Are you going to keep up your end of the deal?” I definitely wasn’t going to say no to that.

About 9% of the children at FHS (that we know of) are HIV-positive. This little girl is one of them which is why I am not naming her. I sat with her for a while, let her lay her head on my lap and just rubbed her back. Again, praying that my touch would bring her comfort and rest, and that God’s love would flow through me to her. I then led her over to a table and brought books and paper and colored pencils. We spent the next half hour or so reading and drawing. A couple other kids joined us, including one boy from the kindergarten class named Ringo.

The best word to use in describing Ringo is “tough”. But to me, to be called tough at five years old is not a positive thing. I wonder about his home situation and what has caused him to have such a hardened attitude. He is a bully to the other kids and typically looks very sad or angry. During my first several weeks here, I never once saw him smile. I have been intentionally paying attention to him, giving him hugs, smiling at him from across the room, and he is responding. He will sit in my lap--lifeless--but I can tell he is content and it is obvious he also lacks affectionate love at home. He will often jerk away from anyone who tries to touch him, but he has slowly opened up to me and I can hug him, hold him, tickle him, and calm him down during the many times he is being a distraction. I do not take that relationship lightly.

When I look at these children and the issues we face at the center on a regular basis, it is easy to become completely overwhelmed with the work to be done. But when I focus on Ringo and others like him, I know that my deepest desire is to make a transforming difference in the lives of even a handful of these precious children. I can see the potential in these hardened children that is seemingly hidden to others. And I trust that as I pour myself out to each of them these next 20 months, I will see a change and my time here will be worth everything.

Jesus' ministry was filled with touching people. One of my favorite stories is not of Jesus touching someone, but of someone touching Him. It’s about a woman who recognized this power of touch, of transference of love and healing from the One who gives life to all. May we be bold in sharing God’s love with others through touch, and may we be challenged by this woman’s faith in trusting that God will shower His love and healing down on us if we simply reach out to Him.