the safest place to be |

Her name is Caela and yes- she stole my heart.

Last week while in a local community called Los Solares, one child in the group stood out to me. She was wandering off and talking to her dirty clothing-less little doll and constantly being called back by the leaders. When she looked at me, her eyes captured my whole attention. Deep, unique, kind, curious hazel eyes. I made my way over to her and bent down to talk with her.

"Hello, whats your name?"
"Caela. And my doll is named little girl."
"Oh, do you love her?"
"Yes, of course. She's my little princess."

The group was moving over to another spot and I turned to walk with everyone else. She grabbed my hand and walked with me. As the team we were with started their puppet show, she would not stop talking to me. I kept putting my finger to my lips and saying, "Shhh", and she would smile, shake her head, and pull my hand down. She motioned for me to bend down so she could talk into my ear.

"This little girl is my baby. I love her."

I smiled and I stood back up.

She told me she couldn't see the puppet show and motioned for me to lift her up. In the process of me picking her up, her little doll fell from her safe place in Caela's arms. Devastated little Caela jumped from my arms and quickly picked up her doll and held her close. She closed her eyes and squeezed her baby.

"Caela, is she okay? Did she get hurt?"
"She says she's sad. But she said she knows I still love her."

Tears filled my eyes and I picked her back up. Caela followed me everywhere I went and even trusted me to hold her baby for a minute when she went to play. She looked over every 15 or 20 seconds to check to see that I was taking care of her. She got some candy and ran over to show me. She had two suckers- one for her and one for little girl. I asked Caela if it would be okay for my boyfriend to hold her baby and she looked at me for a minute and said, "Is it safe there?" I said, "Do you think so?" She though for a minute and then said, "Yes, because I know you love my little girl too."

Her baby that she loved was hurt by something beyond her control, but she knew she was okay because Caela loved her. She was safe in that love. How much more am I safe in the love of my heavenly Father? She trusted me to love what she loved. She trusted me to love her little girl. Caela- you taught me more than you know. How many times has God whispered to me that He loves me, and yet when things go wrong that aren't His will, I question that perfect love?

Jesus- somedays I am sad. But I know you love me. Things hurt me- but I know you love me. I fall- but I am safe because You love me. And you have trusted me to love your children and to protect them.

May I always remember the way that you've loved me and that is the safest place to be. And may I always remember to send others around me into that safe love, too.

[Caela with her sucker for her baby.]