Hibo had no immediate family in Djibouti other than her children. Her husband gave her three kids and HIV and ran off. She had one dead baby and two living. Hibo had her first baby, the one who died, when she was 14. Malnutrition had stunted Hibo’s growth, and because of malnutrition her children’s hair…
I’m not an outdoors person. At least, that’s not how I have ever described myself. After all, I’m not fond of bugs or dirt or rocks, and the outdoors holds a plethora of each. But recently I wondered if I should stop refusing to wear that title. Because my denial might not be entirely accurate….
I never saw a heartbeat inside a chest before, until one day, I did. This wasn’t something I set out to do; I’m not a surgeon nor do I work in the medical field. In fact, unless there’s a problem, I don’t pay much attention to the beat of my own heart. I trust in…
There’s a bumper-sticker slogan that says, “If God seems distant, guess who moved.” Pithy, right? But not very helpful. We often struggle to feel that God is near. Hardships, depression, busyness, pride. These are all things that can veil God’s face to us. When the skies are blue, we feel we can see God more…
Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus. Jesus was passing through Jericho, Luke tells us in chapter 19 of his gospel, but stopped to sit with and attend to an image bearer, Zacchaeus. Being a chief publican (or tax collector) meant Zacchaeus wasn’t welcomed in many places. He was ignored by the community despite being wealthy. Even…
“Where are you God?” is often the cry of a wounded heart. If we learn to be aware of the presence of God on a continual basis, these doubts are less overwhelming when crisis hits. Recognizing the nearness of God means we see his hand of mercy everywhere. Pondering, wondering, and linking our moments to…
I hadn’t realized just how much I longed for the reawakening of spring until it came. With each deep draw of damp-earth scent into my lungs, something in me came alive again, something I didn’t know had gone dormant. Over these last few weeks, I’ve walked around our yard, hungrily searching for new evidence of…
“Why are you crying? Don’t cry. Shake it off. You’ll feel better tomorrow. Smile. Shouldn’t you be over it by now?” These are a few of the messages I heard surrounding my tears growing up. I heard them on the softball field, in the classroom, from family, from friends. As a Highly Sensitive Person who…