Beauty.

There are many things in this life that I call beautiful.

Here is one of them:

Beauty is only 9 years old.

She lives in a house that burned down, but has two rooms still intact.

She has to worry when it rains.

She has to stay home from church with her sister at times to protect the little that they have from thieves.

Her surroundings are not quite beautiful.

But, Friday her mother told us a story.

Beauty is a member of a GEMS club here in Lusaka. Her mother is one of the counselors for this group of girls. Beauty asked her mother why one of the girls in the club wore the same outfit every Saturday to church. She asked if it was because she had no other clothes to put on. Her mother told her that this was probably the reason. So, Beauty went right home and gathered up a few articles of the precious little clothing she has and took it to club the following week. And now that little girl can wear clean clothes whenever she wants.

Our Father makes his daughters beautiful and He begins his work in places no one can see.

He works from the inside out.

And though few people could see this small soul giving so freely, He did.

He named her Beauty for a reason, even if just to teach me what it looks like.

little.

Falling asleep, listening to Norah Jones, and praying for Shantel.

Spinning, laughing, dancing, to her favorite song

A little girl with nothing wrong, is all alone.

Eyes wide open, always hoping for the sun

And she'll sing a song to anyone who comes along.

Fragile as a leaf in autumn

Just falling to the ground, without a sound.

Crooked little smile on her face,

Tells a tale of grace, that's all her own.

She's a little girl, with nothing wrong

And she's all alone.

"In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth."

He has called her out in righteousness.

He takes hold of her hand.

He keeps her and will make her a light to the Gentiles.

Like Jesus, for Shantel I am steady and undiscouraged.

I hold a jewel of hope for her and she sings songs of grace to me.

I show her love and faithfulness and she shows me unwavering faith.

And she sings that song to anyone who comes along.

faithfulness.

This weekend I have the chance to go and visit my little angel, Shantel.

More than anyone else in Zambia, my greatest desire is to show her the love of Jesus.

I only want to display her Father's faithfulness to her "in the flesh".

The only hindrance to my 6 hour pursuit of her is that she currently refuses to speak to me.

Today is March 2nd and, for Shantel, the beginning of March marks an unfulfilled promise.

I told her with my own lips that I would return in February, which I did.

February came and I was in Zambia, but I was not with her.

At this point, my trip to the remotest parts hinges on her. If she will talk to me, I'll be there.

I'm praying that I will be given that chance. Today, this is my prayer over her:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God"

Ephesians 3:14-19

In all of my attempts and my failing to love her like Jesus loves her, I am driven into deeper intercession on her behalf. He makes up for all of my lacking.
He stands in the gap while I am on my knees.

There is no better place that I can be for her--away and on my knees.