our tender-hearted Eva
It had been a busy morning of leaving the house early with three young children in tow; and taking three separate and crowded Metro trains to reach the office of Extranjeria in downtown Santiago. Through God's favor we had accomplished the task we needed to complete, which was reporting the little boys' overstay on their visas and receiving a written warning that will allow them to depart the country with us on Tuesday night.
We had been on our feet for a long while and once more descended the steps into the depths of the Metro station at Plaza de Armas. As we reached the bottom, we passed a bearded and barefoot man who rocked from side to side and cried out in a loud voice, "Tengo hambre! Tengo hambre!" ("I'm hungry! I'm hungry!")
My first instinct was to look away, assuming he was drunk and begging like sadly so many are in this vast city. We had promised the kids a drink and stopped for juice and a muffin in a shop within sight and sound of the bearded man. Meanwhile I noticed that Eva kept looking over her shoulder at the stranger and seemed very troubled by his condition.
I asked her what she was thinking and when she shared how worried she was for him, I suggested that she take a minute to pray for him. She did, bowing her head quietly for several minutes. When she looked up, her eyes were overflowing with tears. They slipped down her cheeks and suddenly I was moved by her emotion. I asked if she wanted us to buy the man a sandwich, which she gladly accepted and asked if I would go with her to deliver.
We walked side by side to the man and she reached out a sandwich and a bottle of water. He took them both gratefully, and we walked away. I was so touched by my daughter's heart and convicted of my own.
Sometimes it takes looking through the eyes and heart of a child for us to truly see compassion.
We had been on our feet for a long while and once more descended the steps into the depths of the Metro station at Plaza de Armas. As we reached the bottom, we passed a bearded and barefoot man who rocked from side to side and cried out in a loud voice, "Tengo hambre! Tengo hambre!" ("I'm hungry! I'm hungry!")
My first instinct was to look away, assuming he was drunk and begging like sadly so many are in this vast city. We had promised the kids a drink and stopped for juice and a muffin in a shop within sight and sound of the bearded man. Meanwhile I noticed that Eva kept looking over her shoulder at the stranger and seemed very troubled by his condition.
I asked her what she was thinking and when she shared how worried she was for him, I suggested that she take a minute to pray for him. She did, bowing her head quietly for several minutes. When she looked up, her eyes were overflowing with tears. They slipped down her cheeks and suddenly I was moved by her emotion. I asked if she wanted us to buy the man a sandwich, which she gladly accepted and asked if I would go with her to deliver.
We walked side by side to the man and she reached out a sandwich and a bottle of water. He took them both gratefully, and we walked away. I was so touched by my daughter's heart and convicted of my own.
Sometimes it takes looking through the eyes and heart of a child for us to truly see compassion.
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