Loving the one....

Heidi Baker's call to us all to "love the one in front of us" has been a huge motivator for me in coming to Mozambique.  This is something I can do.  In fact, each one of us can love the one in front of us no matter where we are.  This call to "love the one" is what brought me here.  Upon arriving,  I found the amount of ones in front of me to love overwhelming.  I recall thinking to myself in desperation that there are so very many children, how can I love "the one".  I am learning how to do just that. 

"Loving the one" has different looks to it.  Sometimes it looks like being covered in children.  Each child does not seem to care that I am not doting over just him, and him alone.  Sometimes each child is content to just get any piece of my affection and attention, even if it means sharing your lap with several others. 

Sometimes, I do have the opportunity to love on just "the one".  As I was spending my morning at Iris Matola with the 6 babies there, Junior was being very fussy and clingy all morning.  We played inside, and he hung on me.  We played outside, and he hung on me.  We played on the patio, and he hung on me.  The other babies were playing nicely over the watchful eye of an educator, so I took Junior into the living room area where there are two daybeds.  I layed him down and covered him with a sheet.  I layed next to him stroking his arm, his back, and  his sweet cheeks.  I prayed over him and sang to him.  He soon fell asleep.  It brought to mind the countless times when I would be tucking our William into bed as a little boy.  I would often think about how many children in the world go to bed each night and do not have someone to tuck them in, and it would break my heart.  God has mended this brokeness and allowed me to sing one of His precious children to sleep.