God Places the Lonely in Families

“Pop-pa, Pop-pa,” the two little braided-and-beaded-haired girls squealed in delight, as they clung to his neck and in unison would begin
to count, “un, deux, trois,” before he once again disappeared with them under
the water, making a game of the bobbing up and down. The
petite daughters would swim to the edge and call out, “Momma, Momma,” to the admiring
lady sitting under the shade of the cabana at the pool’s edge. It appears to be a picture perfect family,
enjoying a holiday afternoon at the Hotel du Lac, on the edge of Lake
Togo. And an illustration of the universal
longing in each of us, no matter what continent we are on, or in which culture
we live, to be part of family, to experience the love and adoration of those
around us, perhaps even unknowingly, the love and adoration of Someone bigger
than us.

These weeks here on Africa
Mercy give John and I the opportunity to be reconnected with our daughter
for a brief time, and enjoy the unique bond we have with her, bonds that make
us family. It is also a time for me to
reflect on something greater, and recognize in the reflection, how immense the
gift is I have been given in the human family I am blessed to be a part
of. As I observe and ponder, several
factors have caused me to want to express gratitude and not take for granted what
I have been given.

As John and I have been introduced around ship, many have
been surprised that we would come to work here alongside Laura, and we get the
wide-eyed ‘wows.’ They indicate in their
comments, their appreciation for Laura and all she means to them, and their
simultaneous appreciation to us, especially if they are from African nations. Laura has shared with us at later times,
comments some have made privately to her, once we are away. Some have indicated a jealousy. They come from developed nations, and their
parents, with a different focus in their lives, would never consider making
such a trip. They can tell just from our brief interactions or their knowledge
of previous stories Laura has told of her family of origin, that we have something
they have never experienced; a parent-child relationship that is truly rare in
this day, mutual love and respect and understanding and attachment. They did not grow up with that as part of
their experience with their own parents.
They have revealed to Laura their desire for something so precious.

Others, from lesser developed nations, have an envy stemming
from different reasons. The disease and
violence that are part of the fabric of these nation’s experiences have
shortened the lives of parents, and they have been left orphans. Togo’s 2010 estimated life expectancy was 59
years for males and 57 for females. That
is 15 years greater than for inhabitants of Liberia, and 5 years greater than
residents of Sierra Leone. Only Ghana,
in the West African nations I researched, has a greater life expectancy. At these rates, John and I would by now be
living far beyond the averages.

In a day or two, I am going to begin caring for patients
who have often been rejected by their families because of the injuries they
have suffered during obstructed childbirth experiences or in other violent
means, and as a result have a continuous leaking of bodily wastes. They will have surgeries to repair the
damaged tissue, and hope of a new start in life, with perhaps a reconnection
with their families. In the meantime, here,
they get to experience, perhaps for the first time in years, what God intended
human relationships to be like, where we as nurses and crew, part of His family,
clothe ourselves with His compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience, and connect as Jesus did, with the ‘untouchables,’ the ‘outcasts,’
and the ‘unclean,’ bringing hope and healing in His name.

I’m praising God today for my family, and asking
Him that I can be His family to those who are hurting around me, no matter the
reason for their circumstance.

Psalm 68:4-6
“Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the
clouds. His name is the Lord—rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God
places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.”