One of the main beliefs the supervisor of Gentle Hands has is that as Christians, we can be a tangible, practical touch of Jesus to those in need. Whether they are feeding the hungry, helping the sick, holding the lonely, or praying for the lost, the Gentle Hands team has taken this philosophy to heart. Becky has seen great need in some of the love-starved children who come to Gentle Hands.Becky: I have made a very strong connection with a little boy that I misunderstood at first. When I first met him, I just thought he was an annoying little boy who threw tantrums all the time. After learning his story though, I learned that he was simply dropped off at the orphanage – abandoned. His kicking and screaming is his coping mechanism for the hurt he feels. Sometimes it’s over absolutely nothing, but if I simply hold him close to me, he will instantly calm down. It’s not what you are probably thinking though: another spoiled kid who kicks and screams until he gets attention – it’s different. He just wants closeness because he has probably never gotten it.
Now when he sees me, he runs right to me (which is hilarious because his legs seem to move faster than the rest of his body so he looks like a cartoon) and hugs me. He usually stays pretty close to me. Often I am the only one who can calm him down when he is throwing a fit. He has taught me to love unconditionally because, like all of us, he is sometimes very hard to love. I know I could never understand what he has experienced or how he feels because of it, but I do know that I can love him through it.
He had a sister here at Gentle Hands who went back to their family, so I sometimes worry that he will go back home and not have the love that he has found here. I just want him to know that someone loves him – whether he only has God for that or if his parents have become what he needs or if he has a faint memory of me or the others who love him here at Gentle Hands.
What I have learned from all of this is that we should love on every kid as much as possible because we may be the only sources of love and the only touch of Jesus they feel in their lives. I know I will continue to pray for that boy by name every day when I get home. I hope that God will always allow him to be surrounded people who make him feel loved or provide him with strength in knowing God is with him if the love isn’t there.
