Compassion - what definition comes to mind when you hear that word? The dictionary defines it as "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Sounds like a pretty grown-up feeling to me! The ability to not only recognize the feelings of others but to then want to selflessly do something about it? Isn't that the crux of the calling God makes to all Christians? Isn't that just what Jesus did? But in order to feel compassion, there must be something to feel compassionate towards...which means we would have to face suffering...real human, visceral, gut-wrenching, suffering. And that is hard to do...hard enough for adults to do...but what about children? If we, as adults, turn our heads away from suffering, what are we teaching our children? How do we teach our children compassion if we don't allow them to see the suffering in our world?
Not only did Rob and Michelle choose to bring their two sons, Aiden and Jake, on this trip, but there were other families who brought their children along. Took them out of their American bubble, away from their technology and comforts, and plopped them down in the middle of a third-world country. And to be honest, one of the greatest blessings I received on this trip was seeing the suffering through the eyes of these kids and then seeing the compassion blossom within each one of them.
Aiden - 17 years old...on the cusp of becoming an adult...ready to jump out into the world with both feet...curious and inquisitive and analytical (probably more than anyone I have ever met)...sensitive with such a pure heart...just spend a few minutes with him and you will come away a better person...he makes you think, makes you laugh, and makes you question all within a single conversation! He befriended one of the little girls at the Children's Home - Estepheny - and watching him with her brought tears to my eyes. Every adult on the trip described him as one of the nicest, most social, people they had ever met. I watched him take that same personality and interact with the people in the clinic; they didn't speak the same language, but the language of care and concern and compassion is universal. Each one of those people knew that he cared about them. Christ's love and compassion shown through him in every interaction.
Jake - 12 years old...caught between the naivety of childhood and the hormones of adolescence...trying desperately to hold onto the fun of being a kid, but also starting to notice the schoolgirls who would shout "caliente!" as he walked by (and yes, this was a very frequent occurrence!)...watching him play soccer with the kids from the Children's Home was magical...a beautiful clashing of cultures and lifestyles...but linked by that common bond of childhood and of God's love. Normally the "class clown" who makes everyone around him smile and laugh, I got to see a different side of Jake one evening. Michelle and I were relaxing in the church nursery (long story!) when Jake found us. Coming into the room he asked, in all seriousness, "mom, can we adopt a kid?" Upon further discussion, we found that Jake had developed such love for the children at the home that he wanted his parents to adopt one of them. I got to see such compassion in him later that evening when he and I got a chance to talk more about it...but what an amazing opportunity for learning and growth!
Cory - 11 years old...still very much a boy...he loved entertaining the kids with his yo-yo tricks and driving me nuts drumming on his water bottles while I was trying to talk to patients! This was also his first mission trip and he had come with his mom and his grandfather. He was such a hard worker...each time I finished with a patient I would say "Cory...to the stage!" and he would stand straight up, salute me, and lead the patient over to the stage (yes it really was a stage!) for their refractory eye exam. He never complained, never grew tired, and never stopped working. He loved playing with the kids and his pure joy was contagious! One of my favorite stories of the trip happened to him. His mom recounted it one evening...a man came up to Cory in the clinic and said "we are brothers!" Cory looked up at him and the man said "because we are both Christians, right?" That man knew...he saw something in Cory...that love and light and compassion of Christ showing through.
Maddie - 16 years old...reminds me so much of myself...sensitive and kind...at an age where you are trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in this huge world...Maddie's pure, raw emotions tore at my heart in Honduras...she epitomized the word compassion. After being at the Children's Home (where I think she would have stayed the entire week if she had been allowed!) she wrote on Facebook "when you find something you're truly passionate about, nothing else really seems to matter anymore." Mature words from a teenager! Her tears on the bus ride back to the hotel after saying goodbye to the kids on the last night said it all. She had been changed...she didn't care at that point who saw her tears...all she knew was that her heart was breaking for them. "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." Maddie showed us all what true compassion was that night.
God desperately calls each one of us to a selfless life...a life filled with compassion for others...a life of serving others. It takes many of us becoming adults to finally realize that; to fully understand what true compassion and service and selflessness is. How awesome is it that these four kids found it...thousands of miles away...that these four kids understood it in a way some people never will. You don't need any special talent to touch the life of another human. As each one of them taught us, all it takes is a little love...a little light...a little compassion.
Christian author, Max Lucado, said "it all [begins] with an honest look and a helping hand. Could this be God's strategy for human hurt? First kind eyes meet desperate ones. Next, strong hands help weak ones. Then, the miracle of God. We do our small part, he does the big part."
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