pierced through
this weekend we did an experiment that proved to be wonderful.
We invited some of our closer Syrian friends to join us as our ministry team for a bigger clinic on a Saturday to a camp we have never been to. Not all of them were able to come, but we brought two strong, passionate syrian women, one of their daughters and a loving Lebanese university student!
We came into the camp and started asking if it was ok to do our free clinic in this one house, a house that apparently our friend knew, oh wait what was that. This was her brother's house. Somehow we landed at the camp that was her brothers. ha ha ha.
We unloaded medications and then gathered in the back room, Drew cast some vision about " they will know us by the way we love " so let's love them and each other no matter how tired or chaotic it gets. it was so fun to have our Syrian friends be a part of the team, and be in the position of giving, of being the blessings.
Having our friends with us was...amazing. Watching them pray, encourage, help, serve was so powerful and beautiful.
It was crazy at time, it was chaotic, people left disgruntled when we would not give them medications they wanted but definitely did not need. I felt a little nuts translating, taking urine tests (ahhh! awesome and crazy) and seeing patients.
there was this constant tug from the Holy Spirit to make sure that i was loving, that i was giving away love, that i was listening and helping in every small way i can.
One woman started telling all kinds of symptoms. And every symptom she told, if we tried to solve, or medicate, she would come up with another problem. I am trying hard not to be frustrated with her. How can I emphasize better, i think to myself. When they escalate with physical problems, most of the time it means they don't feel listened to. So I tell her " sounds like you have lots of pain, is there something that brings you here today? what can we help with today?"
she asks if i can tell if she is pregnant. Unfortunately we do not have pregnancy tests. I tell her all i can do is pray that she is and that God would give her a baby. She is 42, been married for more than 15 years and wants a baby so bad it is palpable. I pray for her and boldly ask for a baby for her.
She crumbles into a ball and is weeping. She can't stop. The room is silent, except for my sweet Syrian friend whispering loving words over her. I embrace her and hold her while she weeps. I can feel years and years of pain and longing in her tears. I can feel that she does not get to weep about this often to a heart that is affected. I pray again and speak life over her and that God as a kind father who sees her.
I pray vulnerable prayers, but they don't feel that way. they spring out of me as she weeps, because I know the good Father.
It hits me afterwards how she was persistent, had so many symptoms and was almost irritable. how my natural reaction would be to go ahead and wrap.this.thing.up. But thankfully, thankfully, I felt the Holy Spirit lead me down the road of kindness. how my kindness cracked open her sadness and allowed her to weep into a heart that was full of love for her, and full of faith.
She wiped her eyes and was slightly embarrassed and some of the women tried to fill the silence and intimate moment with - " Allah kareem" God is generous. she gathered her meds and walked out and still seemed like she was unable to just shut the door back on all those intense emotions that had come forth from her heart.
I felt trembly. is that a word? i felt this mix of intense longing and faith to see God reach down and give this woman the desire of her heart, the thing she has longed for her whole adult life.
that was my moment for this clinic. the moment that i knew i was suppose to be the love, the kindness, the comfort of the Father for this sweet sweet woman.
We invited some of our closer Syrian friends to join us as our ministry team for a bigger clinic on a Saturday to a camp we have never been to. Not all of them were able to come, but we brought two strong, passionate syrian women, one of their daughters and a loving Lebanese university student!
We came into the camp and started asking if it was ok to do our free clinic in this one house, a house that apparently our friend knew, oh wait what was that. This was her brother's house. Somehow we landed at the camp that was her brothers. ha ha ha.
We unloaded medications and then gathered in the back room, Drew cast some vision about " they will know us by the way we love " so let's love them and each other no matter how tired or chaotic it gets. it was so fun to have our Syrian friends be a part of the team, and be in the position of giving, of being the blessings.
there was this constant tug from the Holy Spirit to make sure that i was loving, that i was giving away love, that i was listening and helping in every small way i can.
One woman started telling all kinds of symptoms. And every symptom she told, if we tried to solve, or medicate, she would come up with another problem. I am trying hard not to be frustrated with her. How can I emphasize better, i think to myself. When they escalate with physical problems, most of the time it means they don't feel listened to. So I tell her " sounds like you have lots of pain, is there something that brings you here today? what can we help with today?"
she asks if i can tell if she is pregnant. Unfortunately we do not have pregnancy tests. I tell her all i can do is pray that she is and that God would give her a baby. She is 42, been married for more than 15 years and wants a baby so bad it is palpable. I pray for her and boldly ask for a baby for her.
She crumbles into a ball and is weeping. She can't stop. The room is silent, except for my sweet Syrian friend whispering loving words over her. I embrace her and hold her while she weeps. I can feel years and years of pain and longing in her tears. I can feel that she does not get to weep about this often to a heart that is affected. I pray again and speak life over her and that God as a kind father who sees her.
It hits me afterwards how she was persistent, had so many symptoms and was almost irritable. how my natural reaction would be to go ahead and wrap.this.thing.up. But thankfully, thankfully, I felt the Holy Spirit lead me down the road of kindness. how my kindness cracked open her sadness and allowed her to weep into a heart that was full of love for her, and full of faith.
She wiped her eyes and was slightly embarrassed and some of the women tried to fill the silence and intimate moment with - " Allah kareem" God is generous. she gathered her meds and walked out and still seemed like she was unable to just shut the door back on all those intense emotions that had come forth from her heart.
I felt trembly. is that a word? i felt this mix of intense longing and faith to see God reach down and give this woman the desire of her heart, the thing she has longed for her whole adult life.
that was my moment for this clinic. the moment that i knew i was suppose to be the love, the kindness, the comfort of the Father for this sweet sweet woman.
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