For good and glory.

 "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" (Psalms 115:1 ESV)


There will always be things in life that you don't see coming. That smack you square in the face and leave you stunned silence. And sometimes it seems like a gamble, whether or not those things turn out to be good or bad.

But, regardless of how we perceive those things to be, God always intends them for our good. For our good and for His glory.

Tuesday I held on to that promise for dear life.

It started out an average day. There was a group of teenagers helping to put on a sports camp for our kids in the morning. We laughed, played, and cried when contact was made between rogue Frisbees and faces. And as I was being joyfully distracted by my kids, I noticed that there were two young girls I didn't recognize sitting off to the side.

I found out that they had been dropped off the day before by a woman who had been caring for them, who wasn't their mother. They seemed to forlorn, although who can blame them? As I was looking at them, their faces suddenly lit up, and they were off in a dead run.

They collided in an embrace with an older woman I didn't recognize. It was their guardian, who had come back to sign some papers.

My heart sank as I realized that these young girls thought they would be going home with her that day. When, in fact, they wouldn't be.

They accompanied the woman to our financial office, and then, all too quickly, it was time for her to leave. Again.

They clung to her as she tried to pry them off and leave through our gate. It was clear that none of the three of them wanted to be parted. Deepak, one of our house dads, had come to help with the situation. The woman who had looked after these girls was his mother.

He grabbed the youngest girl, who is maybe 5, and tried to hold her with one arm as he reached for the older girl, who is no more than 9. He quickly realized that he couldn't hold them both, and his mom desperately needed to put an end to this situation.

He called me over and asked me to grab the older girl.

Not what I signed up for when I came to Nepal.

But I did what needed to be done. I circled her waist and pulled her back, so that she was sitting in my lap, on top of my folded legs. She screamed.

And screamed. And screamed.

And I just held her, unsure of what to do next.

There was nothing in English or Nepali that I could have said to make the situation any easier. And even if there had been, I wouldn't have had the presence of mind to speak it. Her cries wrenched my heart clear out of my chest.

Deepak and I sat there for what seemed like an eternity. Truly, it couldn't have been more than 10 minutes.

We tried to give them something to drink. Something to eat. Anything to distract them from their anguish.

After several valiant attempts, Deepak walked away with the younger girl to try and put her to sleep. I was left alone with a slip of a girl who I didn't know. Whose face was twisted up and stained with tears.

I'm not sure that I've ever felt quite that helpless. So I did that first thing that came to mind, the only thing that I thought might offer a small amount of comfort.

I sang her a song.

The first song that came to mind was the River Lullaby from The Prince of Egypt. I don't know if it was because I find the song soothing, or if God spoke to my conscience. But I didn't have time to stop and think.

"Hush now, my baby. Be still, love, don't cry. Sleep as you're rocked by the sea. Sleep and remember this lullaby, and I'll be with you in your dreams."

As I went on and sang the other verses, slowly rocking this young, hurt girl, I couldn't believe what my ears heard.

 Nothing.

Silence. Save for a few sniffles and sighs.

She had stopped crying.

It worked! It really worked! I could have cried myself. Even though she couldn't understand the English words, and I was singing just louder than a whisper, it worked.

I finished the song, repeating the last verse... "God has a plan just for you." When I was done, we sat for a few more minutes. Then I stood and took her hand and led her over to Deepak.

His frazzled look mirrored my own. We both took a deep breath, I gave her hand to him, and I walked away.

Not what I signed up for when I came to Nepal.

I never expected to be holding a young girl back form, quite possibly, the only woman who ever cared for her. I never expected to be the one thing that stood between two people who clearly needed each other and wanted to be together.

It's not a position I would wish on my worst enemy. What I experienced are not emotions I would want anyone to feel.

There are some things in life that smack you square in the face. Tuesday, I desperately needed the promise that God works all things together for the good of those who love him. Not only for those little girls and their guardian, but for myself.

For our good. For His glory.