“Our Week with Dor”
Last week we were asked to bring a Haitian baby to an orphanage that we know of in Jacmel. He was in a nearby orphanage that has recently closed and was moved to a Haitian family’s home until last week. We were supposed to take the boy to the Orphanage after we got his Original Birth Certificate and a negative HIV test. When I called my friend’s orphanage to let them know that we had all the info, she asked if I could keep him a little longer because arrangements hadn’t been made with the Nanny that will be caring for him. The director of the orphanage will be in the states until Wednesday and we will talk about it easier via telephone then.
With that being said, he didn’t just stay one night with us… so I would like to introduce him to you. His name is Dor, short for Dorvensky, and he just turned 2 years old in November. He is very precious and has made this week quite exciting for Doug and I. First, He just wants to be loved on. He has been in a nearby orphanage for the most of his life and was in a room most of the time with other children. He had fun playing but rarely got “one on one, love on him ONLY time”. So he cuddles and would rather you talk to him and hold him then to play with him. After a week, he is now beginning to let us sit him down and play soccer back and forth or with tractors and coloring books.
Tonight, I sat as he and Doug played with a tiny bowl that he had dry cereal in for “bednight” snack. Dor sat in Doug’s lap as they put it on each others' head, made a funny face, then laughed hysterically at each other. They did this for a good 20 minutes before it was time to quiet down for bed.
I believe that God has sent this little guy to our home for a short time to learn a few lessons.
Lesson 1
Dor was dropped off to us on Friday with a tiny little blue suitcase with a few items in it. He had 2 tractors, some clothes, sandals and some diapers. Dor was a great baby that slept all the way through the night and for the first two days was very happy. Then Doug and I both started with colds and by Saturday night I had excruciating pain in my ear. At midnight I knew it was an ear infection but couldn’t call the missionary Doctor that lives here at CV until 6am Sunday morning. When I did call him, he said he would be right down with pain meds and antibiotics which were ok to take during pregnancy. After looking at my ears, he confirmed that it was in fact an ear infection and treated me. After not sleeping Saturday night since midnight, I decided to stay in bed and not go to church so I could take the pain meds and finally get some sleep.
After church Doug and Dor came in and Dor was screaming his head off, which was very abnormal for him. I sat up and said, "what is going on?". Dor had seen the Haitian family at church that he had stayed with since his orphanage closed in December and didn’t want to leave them. Since Doug did the "bad thing" to him by taking him away from them, this made me the “Good guy”. He came right to me and with his angry eyebrows and tried to explain how Doug did that “bad thing” by taking him away from the family that he grew to know so well. I held him tight and I told him he would be just fine and that Doug had to bring him here… he stopped crying but was clearly exhausted from crying all the way home from church. He fell asleep with me as we lay in my bed. When he woke up we had lunch ready for him and he was ready to eat. He clung to me and wanted nothing to do with Doug. After a little bit Doug went out for while and it was just me and Dor. I had to go to the bathroom so badly so I sat him down and ran to the potty. He ran after me SCREAMING. I was sitting there doing my thing and all he wanted was to be cuddled. So I sat there and held him tight and realized two things. One…”Anna (my sister) is right… after becoming a mommy, you get interrupted in the bathroom 99% of the time.” And two… ”Mommies do crazy things to comfort their babies” As I sat there on the toilet, kinda feeling silly for holding Dor while sitting there, I realized that there is never a time that our Heavenly Father pushes us away from Him. He cares for us and wants us to love Him and worship Him and adore Him. And when we need Him, He is ready. This is unconditional love, something that I am really learning as God is preparing me for motherhood. So, I learned that even when mommies are on the “throne” they should still make time for their babies, when they need her to. Wouldn’t God allow us to disturb Him while He is on His “throne”?
Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this He was indignant. He said to them, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.
Lesson 2
I was doing laundry, and I usually try to do it pretty fast... pulling one load out of the washing machine and putting one load in since we have limited generator and during this season we must get the laundry on the line before 1pm so it will dry before dark. As Dor watched me pull the clothes out and start to put more in, he decided that he needed to do it too. This little guy stands two feet nothing and took each piece of clothing and placed it on the top side of the machine. Then he would reach to his tip toes and push the clothes in and it would fall out of sight. He did this very slowly piece by piece until finally the whole load was in. Then he followed me out to the clothes line where he handed me piece by piece to place nicely on the line to dry. This process was very slow. Just the walk to the line took about 4 times longer then it would if it were me walking briskly alone. However, as each bird chirped, he pointed. And as the chickens walked around he laughed, and he even managed to pick a little flower, then quietly we walked back inside. The lesson that I learned from Dor that day was just the simplicity and innocence of a child. God wants us to be like this child, taking our time in life to enjoy the beauties of this earth and to “be still” and not uptight with our time.
Sure, time is money… but at who’s expense? Are you spending enough time with your Lord?
PSALMS 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God
MATTHEW 18:2-4
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
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