~Reflections~

"In the titanic struggle to get ahead...children are increasingly relegated to the margins of life." ~Sylvia Ann Hewlett

All week, I have been thinking about what to write, my reflections on the time spent with the children in Romania. For a wordy person like myself, one would think it would be easy, but I had the same difficulty upon my return from Romania the first time in December 2007-January 2008. As I sit here at the kitchen table with my laptop, no words can convey the full measure of the experience. Please bear with my feeble attempt to describe and explain.

"Feel the fear and do it anyway." ~Susan Jeffers

For those who know me well, traveling halfway around the world alone would have been so far-fetched I would have laughed out loud a few years ago. I had always made a habit (admittedly, a bad one) of staying on the timid, fearful side of life. I finally decided to step outside of my comfort zone and travel to Romania in December 2007 with my dad. I chose to return to Romania before beginning my job after graduation because I knew that it would be at least a few more years before I would be able to make such a journey again. So, I found myself on June 3rd, 2010, waiting for the plane to take off for Romania. I was alone human-wise (God is always there), still anxiety-ridden about flying (I've resigned myself to the fact that a fear of flying will probably be a thorn in the flesh for the rest of my days. ha ha), tremendously excited, and still in shock that I was actually flying overseas by myself. Seriously, if you have ever considered working overseas with children, or stateside in some capacity, you can do it! It is cliche, but if I can do it, anyone can. I am that timid, oftentimes cowardly, nervous & anxious flier, home body-type person that would be perfectly content to never leave the house. Thankfully, God kicks me out of my safe zone and shows me how challenging, fun, heartbreaking, and fulfilling life can be.

From that first moment when I walked into one of the baby rooms in 2007 and saw several tiny pairs of hands reaching out to be held, I knew the reason for which God had put me on earth; there are well over one hundred million orphans in this world and God showed me early on what He wanted me to do. Could His call for me change? Certainly. However, I can only take one day at a time and pray that I will follow His lead.

Do I know where He will lead me next? Nope. Will it be a place where I can serve, use the talents He gave me, and show Christ's love to children? Most definitely! I have learned that if you pray for God to use you the best way He sees fit, to use every single ability with which He has blessed you, and to grant you life-changing, soul-widening opportunities, don't be surprised when He says yes to your prayers! Sometimes I think we don't take our prayers seriously---but He does!

The following pictures were taken by Caroline & Emily. "And thus, dear children, have ye made for me this day a jubilee." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The previous quote sums up my experience working with the children.

"Many things we need can wait, the child cannot...To them we cannot say tomorrow, for their name is today." ~Gabriella Marella

"Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." ~Julia Child

I have been asked many times if I think any difference is made in the children's lives. A team is only at the clinic for 3 or 4 weeks before a new team takes its place. Most of the children are under the age of 3--far too young to even faintly remember any of us.

But then, children with delays learn to crawl who a week before just sat in the middle of the floor and had to be carried everywhere, tears are wiped away, cries comforted, and laughter comes from the rooms as we dance to Disney songs and twirl children through the air. The love shown will never fail. Volunteering with the children has taught me that life just is. It doesn't ask us what we want, do what is most convenient, or play fair most of the time. It is easy to look at a situation, find fault, and offer solutions, but the reality of life is that in many cases, there is no satisfying answer or ending, and you can only work within very strict, narrow parameters. But the key word is work. You can still work no matter how strict or how narrow. The following quote by Gandhi says it better than I can:

"It is the action, not the fruit of the action, that is important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that does not mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."

Here's to a life of sowing seeds of action, resulting in 'someday fruit'! :)

"Learn to make the most of life. Lose no happy day!" ~Sarah Doudney
"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts." ~Charles Dickens
~Alexandra and her cool shades~

"Above all, let children know you love them, no matter what." ~Angela Stewart

We sow the seeds on the other side of the water,
and never see the harvest turn to flower.
Yet we dance in the colors of the day
and know the power of the bursting bud.

We teach the children to sing,
Though we will hear the song but faintly,
Falling across the water.
And the loud applause will not sound for us,
Only the soft stirrings of peace in the children's hearts,
And the thunder of the ages in their veins.

~Linda Rhody