“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”
I realize much of what I did in Africa has been overshadowed by the accident. First thing people want to know is everything about the crash and the aftermath of that. I think it's time to shed light on the WONDERFUL things we did before. I have this particular story to share today...
Growing up I always remember Mother Teresa being my hero. I remember reading books about her and saying that I wanted to change the world when I grew up. I remember reading about her ministry and how she chose to help the poorest of the poor.
We had the privilege of going to the Mother Teresa home in Addis Ababa. We got to witness there first hand children with disabilities, AIDS patients, TB patients, street women who had recently given birth that were given a place to stay for the first four months so that the babies at least had a chance to survive, we saw leprosy patients, the elderly who no one wanted to care for, and many lost and lonely people. We were able to visit the dying rooms and got to pray with people who only had a few days left to live. It was then I finally realized the true meaning of Mother Teresa’s ministry.
Her ministry wasn’t only to these people because they didn’t have anything. She understood their deepest issue. She distinguished their deepest need. She interpreted the greatest gift that she could give them. And that was LOVE. It was caring for them; it was accepting them for who they are; with their flaws and imperfections, with the smell and the tattered clothes, with poverty and with their untouchable diseases. It was loving them unconditionally with God’s heart which was such a contrast from the rest of the world. It was tending to their needs when society had said we want nothing to do with you. It was treasuring them; it was nurturing them like a loving mother. It was respecting them enough to take the time to notice them; to say “hello, how are you doing.” This was her greatest ministry: Loving the unloved.
I got to be a part of this great ministry. Though I was only there for a day, I got the opportunity to love these people. I got the chance to make a difference it someone’s life. We were able to go through this home and pray for people. To give them hugs and shake their hands and tell them that God loved them EXACTLY the way that they were. He fearfully and wonderfully created them EXACTLY the way they were. It was life changing. It was such an honour to be able to care about these people unconditionally.
“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.”
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