Through the eyes of Jesus – India, Day 1

India, Day One: Orphanage

My human eyes took in the dusty road peppered with scattered trash and the pesky mosquitoes. They noticed the thick concrete wall topped with shards of glass. My human eyes saw dirty, barefoot feet and sweaty, sticky hands. They considered the girls’ cracked skin and lice infested hair. My human eyes observed the broken zippers on torn dresses. They regarded the hard concrete floor that slept each girl through the night. My human eyes stared at the small lockers holding each girl’s meager possessions.

At first glance, that’s all I saw.

But, on our first day at the orphanage, I decided to look through Jesus’ eyes. And then I saw more.

I saw nearly 100 little girls who could hardly contain their excitement as they waited for us to unload the bus. Girls who have visitors only 3 times a year. Girls who have never known or may not remember what a parent’s love feels like. Girls who are not regularly hugged. Girls who don’t hear “I love you” everyday.

I saw girls with beautiful smiles as they instantly grabbed our hands and led us off to play.

I saw girls who were the daughters of Christians who were killed for their faith in Northern India.The girls were found wandering alone and brought to the Home.

I saw deep, beautiful, chocolate eyes.

I saw girls who had been taken in to the Home because their parents couldn’t afford to care for them.

I saw a girl who was given to the Home because her mother’s prostitution cannot provide for her.

From their circumstances, I expected to see tears and downcast faces. But, I saw unexplainable joy. I heard beautiful voices singing about Jesus. I saw laughing faces.

We spent the day with little girls who would consider our love priceless.

We sang, we read, we played, we laughed, we prayed, and we hugged.

We didn’t build any buildings. We didn’t perform any life changing surgeries. Perhaps, the world looks no different after what we did today. Maybe, the memories from today are just small whispers now.

But, today I looked at the world through Jesus’ eyes. I looked to the girls that the world considers invisible.

But, with Jesus’ eyes I SAW them.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’… “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25