The Curious Soul

Each time we go on mission, there are a few people who stick in my memory more than any others. The lady in this photo stood out to me in Madagascar, as we had our first day of vision screening. As she walked through the process of vision screening and selecting glasses, I was able to witness her natural curiosity and pleasure. I don't know if she realized how light-hearted she seemed to be or how her demeanor showed to those of us around her. But I noticed!

She was humble and compliant. She had no room for insisting upon having her way. She was pleasant and always had the joy of having a new experience. I had the feeling that she was a woman you'd always love to be around.

As she tried on her glasses, it was clear that she wasn't exactly familiar with the idea of wearing glasses. She had no apparent muscle memory of how to put the glasses on her face. She seemed totally foreign to having glasses in her hands. Even so, she picked up the glasses, observed them keenly, and lifted them to her face. As she peeked through the glasses and saw how she could see merely clearly, she had the hint of a joyful smile on both corners of her mouth. I could tell she was unexpectedly happy about what the glasses gave to her. Joy!

Madagascar was a mix of hard stories and happy stories. This was a happy story. We were able to help her to see better than she has for years. We can remember her smile and the open eyes she had when she could see clearly and read better. She reminds me of the blind people that Jesus cured during his earthly ministry. But the day in Madagascar was a lighter version. As we go on mission, people like this show me the hand of God at work in the here and now. I'm so pleased that we can go across town or across the world to meet and help people like this. The Lord opened the door to go here and meet people He would bless. Above glasses, I pray that the people of Madagascar would see his loving hand and his righteous attributes. I pray that they'd see a hope that far surpasses the poverty of the world around them.

The curious soul inspired me to remember that God is here and working in the humble souls.