Least of these

I paint the window with as much care as possible, being careful not to miss a spot on its intricate design. Noticing I'm far from alone, I glance to my right. There stands a young boy with a mop of hair. His name is as complex as the window I'm currently painting. He looks up at me with his big brown eyes and wearing a huge smile. Just as he has not changed his clothes from the day before, his curiosity and joy have remained unchanged. It was just one day before that I met this young boy. With his long uncontrolled hair, he immediately stood out among the many that surrounded me. He carried a deflated soccer ball excited to be able to play with the a ball. I reached deep into my backpack and pulled out a sports pump and went over to him. I gently motioned to him to hand me the ball. He hesitantly gave it to me and as the ball began to inflate, a small crowd joined us. Grins that shone more beautiful than the morning sunrise engulfed me. Seeing their faces, I begin to get a glimpse of the beauty of God for it shines in their eyes like stars. I have a to pause for a moment to catch my breath and fight back the tears.

Today we have been finishing off the painting of the church and my job has been to paint this window. My friend sits there holding the can of paint for me out of his eagerness to offer whatever kind of help he can. He gives without thinking as the can is sizable compared to his small body. I thank him and continue to paint. He stays by me hoping to be of some help, yet he has already given me far more than he could possibly know. Two others come to watch as well, a small girl and another girl who is slightly older than my friend. The girl asks me my name in possibly one of the only English phrases she knows, I respond and ask her hers. She is Lamku, her brown eyes sparkle and her hair is tightly braided to keep the dust out of it. My small group sits there smiling as I paint this window, they are content in simply being there with me. Not needing anything except to be near this curious stranger that they have met. I take a moment to just breathe it in. Their smiles and their joy humble me beyond what I knew was possible. They have this contentedness, they need nothing more than the company that they are in.

How can these three children who have nothing but the clothes on their back be so rich? Despite all of my possessions and lifestyle I have not their contentment, their unfailing joy. As my paint brush gently paints the window of this church I begin to realize how cluttered my life is by my material possessions. Just as the paint I place on the window covers the window's faults so it is with my possessions as they cover up my purpose in life. Their joy, their contentment, their smiles come from Love and of having only Jesus. In the kingdom of heaven we are to do unto the least of these as we do unto God, but painting here with Lamku and my friend next to me, I realize I AM the least of these.