Ponderings from Panama

Ponderings from Panama: Monday, August 22, 2011

     The saddest event of the trip happened Monday afternoon.  We had the joy of spending a couple hours after lunch just playing with the children.  We played volleyball, soccer, “hot potato” and jump rope.

But I noticed that one of the girls was not getting involved.  It was Sonia.  I suppose because of the connection of names, but Sonia (Spanish spelling of Sonja) has been very close to Sonja and me.

We have watched her grow up and have given her a little extra attention over the years.  To see her not playing that afternoon was sad.  I realized that she was beginning that sad journey of “growing up” and there would come a day when she would most likely forget how to play.

Yet Jesus said that if we hope to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must become as little children (Matthew 18:3).

That Monday I witnessed a bit of the gradual process of a child dying and a “grown up” being born – so sad.   Never had I wished so bad that I could speak Spanish and be able to explain to Sonia to not let that happen!  I wished that I could have explained to her that, in the words of Satchel Paige it was possible to “work like you didn’t need the money, love like you’ve not been hurt and dance like no one was watching.”