bubbles

"I am seeing that the gospel of Jesus Christ has had its greatest growth when men have been dedicated enough to Him and His principles to quietly live them in the midst of dying and distressed humanity." Clarence Jordan
Yesterday as I was hand- washing my clothes in front of our house, a little girl ran up to my water bucket and assisted me in wringing the bubbles out of my laundry. No older than eight, this little girl, dirty and dressed in tattered clothes, wanted to share with me in my weekly routine. Well, at least, what started as a chore, ended up as a water fight. As I brushed the bubbles out of the girl's hair, I could not help but contemplate how different our lives are. While I will go home to the luxuries of my american lifestyle, she will continue to live on the streets begging. How unfair life seems. Why am I blessed with so much while others seemed almost cursed?
After we washed out the water buckets together, she realized that it was time for her to leave. I knew she did not want to leave. Every emotion written on her face insinuated she wanted to stay longer. I felt so helpless.
But then i realized that maybe this was the most helpful thing I could do for this child; maybe offering her a moment of escape, a moment of fun, a moment of peace, a moment where the world sat still as she watched the bubbles float around her, was one of the best examples of love I could offer a child enslaved to a world of pain.