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Hey everyone, Tayler here! ( Or “Tay-la” as many of my Jamaican friends would say it ) The past two weeks have been a wonderful whirlwind as the summer staff has gotten to know each other, and Harmons has hosted the first team of the summer. Both teams from Olathe Bible Church in Missouri and Zion Baptist Church in Clarion Pennsylvania have brought an incredible energy to the community and have set a great pace for the rest of the summer. Sadly tomorrow is their last day here in Harmons, and we as a staff will send them home with heavy hearts, as it has been great to have them here this week.
Aside from hanging out with the teams that come to Harmons to serve, one of my favorite things about being back in Jamaica for the summer is having the opportunity to spend time with the children here. I have played countless games of tag, distributed candy to many sticky hands, and given out more piggy back rides in the past week than I ever imagined possible. As a result I have come to realize what an adventure racing down the driveway to the Harmony House can be, or how exciting it is to throw rocks at someone (This may sound odd to anyone who has never been here, but seriously, it’s SUCH a fun game! :] ). As if living life in this beautiful community wasn’t simplified enough, seeing life from the perspective of a child here helps me to realize even more how big the world is and how small I am in comparison. Even more so, how enormous God is, and how tiny we all are.
In Matthew 18, Jesus welcomes little children into his arms saying, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as a little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me (Verses 3-5).”
I have been thinking a lot about childlike faith lately, and have been drawing much inspiration from my time spent with the children here. It’s amazing to me how deeply they love, how quickly they forgive, and how easily they are made happy. It’s the kind of thing that I think we all need reminded of every once and a while. Things like the goodness of God, His sufficient joy when we experience pain, and His deep love for us, His children, are all life lessons that I am learning from the youngsters that run the streets of Harmons. Each time I am holding one of them I laugh to myself and think about how I am holding a little piece of God in my arms…and how sticky his hands are…
Until next time :]
One Love,
Tayler
