Joy in the Midst of Suffering: Regina

      Makarios is very unique in that we immerse our groups in the culture and introduce them to our friends in the villages.  We try not to parade around but introduce them to the people we serve day in and day out.  In one of the Haitian bateys that we serve, called Chichigua,  there lives a little girl named Regina who has Cerebral Palsy.  This has left her without the use of her legs and completely dependent on others. You can find Regina in her wheelchair usually near the entrance of the village. But her chair was empty on this day.  Casey Quinton (from the Colonial Baptist team) and I found her sitting in the entrance of a home on the half dirt, half broken, tiled floor with the similar smell to a barn seeping out of the doorway.   No one was there with her on this near 100 degree day as the sun beat into her doorway.  She sat in a half torn and soiled dress.  I was holding another little girl who fell asleep on me as we sat with Regina as the sun beat down on my back.  No AC, not much wind. Smelly. Flies. Ants.  HOT.
       Imagine not being able to move yourself from the scorching sun or getting up to find shade or water.  Or use the bathroom.  Regina cannot form words because of her condition so conversation is mainly by the person talking to her and she can somewhat mumble back.  I asked her if she wanted to sing. She put out her arthritic appearing hand that was covered with dirt and saliva and mumbled something with a smile.  For a moment,  I was hesitant to grab her hand because I have been conditioned by the American culture and my Nursing degree to be "cautious" of germs.  The Spirit convicted me in that instant with a mental image of Jesus walking around touching the least of these.   "Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.." Matthew 20:34.   I reached for her hand and witnessed how touch is truly a need in a child's life for them to thrive.   We sang with her for about 25 minutes until it was time to go.  She smiled and drooled the whole time as she tried to sing with us and would clap at the end of each song.  In Regina, I witnessed JOY IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING. Oh, how my prayer is that I could sing in the the midst of my hardest days...which are not hard in comparison to Regina's days.  


I ask you this:
Do you have joy when the expectations of your day is not met? 
Do you take time to ask God what He is doing in the midst of your suffering?
How do you respond to suffering...or even a disappointment? Like me, do you pout and complain or do you have joy?
Do you take time for the unlovely? Or do you stay in your comfort zone?

The irony is in asking these questions you might not find joy.  Our joy is not in our works thankfully but in Jesus alone.  Don't let your answer make you feel defeated. But look to Jesus who has the power to work in and through you.  It is easy to feel bad and struggle through the answers but the answer is Jesus and his free gift of grace is truly free.  We dont have to beat ourselves up nor feel as if just cause we did something that God is proud.  He is proud of you because you are his child and because of Jesus death can he look at you with grace and in that alone not in your works.  Ask Jesus to fill you this day and believe that you are saved and that Jesus can and will do what he says.