May

I can’t tell the story of the little girl in this photograph.

While I meet many of the patients and hear their stories- how far they traveled, their family history, the challenges of life with a disease- I did not meet with this mother and her child.

A virus like Hepatitis can be a heavy burden on a family. But we see how precious treatment and care is, as many of the patients travel a long way to come to clinic, and then repeat that same trip once a month to receive their medicine.

We could never feed all the hungers, or heal every disease, or solve every problem, but ultimately that is not any single person’s responsibility. We are called to trust in a Father who is faithful over the infinite and minuscule, and from that trust, we are enabled to do what we can do.

Elijah did not go to every widow’s house, and Jesus did not heal all of the lepers in Israel. God’s economy will always be different from ours, and on the scales our actions and understanding will always be found wanting.

But children are a picture of grace in our broken world. That day in clinic, to see a mother with her child was special. She was all dressed up, curious about everything. Jesus said “Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom belongs to such as these.” 

She was a reminder to me that day of what hope is all about.

Contributed by: Stone Johnston