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“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast,

it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,

always perseveres. Love never fails.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

There’s this one little girl whom I’ve been praying the novena for more than 2 years now. Others said, she’s unlovable child. Perhaps because she was difficult to handle and at times exhausting. Let me call her “Gay”. As her name implies, it’s supposed to mean lively, merry or bright but in reality she was not. She is a child full of anger, pain due to abandonment, abuse and rejection.  She was deeply hurt and in pain to the point that she was losing her faith and trust in God.  For her, nobody will love and accept her so she didn’t care anymore.  She sees people who come into her life as passersby that’s why it’s so easy for her to forget their names.

Even I was ashamed to admit that I almost gave up on her. I felt exhausted and really tired that I told myself “maybe, I should just give up”. Until recently I found a place for her respite care for 2 months while her foster carers went on vacation. And that totally changed my perspective of how I see this child.  This couple was never spared of the ups and downs, trials and pains of fostering this girl but they did not give up; instead they bravely took on the challenge and embraced her. They had been very patient, understanding and selfless not to be swayed by their own judgments and biases. They poured out all the love, prayed hard and surrendered it all to God. They became my constant prayer warriors and nurture agents who evoked the power of love and prayer to this child.  Who would have thought that this girl will transform into a bubbly child, learn to sincerely pray and trust adults once again? It may be a long way for her total recovery and healing but God is gradually weaving hopes for her.  And that spark of light and hope is enough for me not to ever give up on faith.

I have always thought of giving up but sometimes God has the most provocative way of surprising us. Sometimes we are all like Gay, unlovable and difficult to love but God dares to love and forgive us despite our imperfections and sins. Many times, I tried to run away but I was always kept at the right place with the right people. At times, I might slip away but there’s always a thread that keeps me hanging and connected to Him.

“And now these three remain, faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

AV  By: Alleen Verdan