This is Caroline from Haiti. On Sunday we visited New Hope Children’s Home which cares for handicapped orphans. We were told that it is nearly impossible for handicapped orphans to be cared for since the government has no means of helping. On January 12, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of over 300,000 Haitians. Prior to the earthquake there were already over 380,000 orphans to care for, and now there would be thousands more. These children are completely dependent upon the love of others to care for them, mostly Christians from the United States who have heeded the call to leave their comforts in order to care for the sick, love the fatherless, and share Christ’s love in word and deed.

As we entered the grounds of the orphanage I could sense the peace of Christ. God’s presence was there. We made our way across the beautiful grounds and came to a group of handicapped children sitting outside in wheelchairs. We presented them with stuffed animals and candy. As we played with the children and presented gifts, I noticed a young girl lying on a bed with no one near her. From a distance I could see that she was very ill, maybe even near death. I slowly walked over to her and could not help but feel my heart sink as I noticed that her arms and legs were literally skin and bones. Her arms and legs were twisted in directions that I didn’t think was humanly possible. She could not have weighed over 60 pounds. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Shocking.

I placed my hand on her forehead, anointed her with oil, and began to shoo away the flies which were landing in her mouth. Her eyes were glazed over as she looked up at the beautiful blue sky with a blank stare. I looked right into her eyes and said, “Merci, Jesus! Merci, Jesus!” (Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!). I looked away from Caroline as I felt the pain well up inside of me and the tears begin to flow. I couldn’t take it. Why, God? Why so much pain? Why so much suffering? What’s Your purpose with Caroline’s life? Why was I born healthy and Caroline born with nothing but sickness and suffering in this world? Why have I been given so much and yet I appreciate so little? Help me, God, to live for you and not live this life in vain.

I didn’t have any answer to my questions. But I sensed the Holy Spirit speak to me and say, “Justin, this beautiful child of mine needs hope from you right now. Wipe your tears and look her right in the eyes and let her see My love shining through you in your smiling face.” So I pulled myself together, bent down, and looked her right in the eyes and said, “Jesus loves you, Caroline! Jesus loves you!” As I smiled at her and repeated these words over and over, she began to moan, “Ummmmmmmmm!, Ummmmmmmm!” I didn’t know what to make of all of this. Was she upset? Was she uncomfortable with me touching her head? Should I stop? What was happening? Then she took her withered hand and began to tap it on her chest. I looked in her eyes and saw hope, even joy. Then I realized she was clapping and communicating with me. The more I said, “Jesus loves you, Caroline!” the louder her moans and the more she clapped. I could see the joy in her eyes and even a smile as I kept shooing away the flies. This was all she could do, but it was more than enough to show me that she loved Jesus and knew His love for her.

All Caroline can physically do with her life is lie there on a bed and stare at the sky with the flies in her mouth. But in her heart she knows that Jesus loves her. And as I looked into her eyes I began to see a beautiful soul trapped in a decaying body. The Lord spoke to my heart, “This is true beauty, Justin. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).” Lord, give me your eyes to see eternal souls and not external bodies!

I pray that one day I will see Caroline in eternity. I’ll give her a hug and say to her, “Merci, Jesus! Jesus loves you, Caroline!” Of course she will already know that and will now enjoy His presence for all eternity with a new body and receive her crown.

To the world it may seem that Caroline has no hope or has no purpose in life. Just lying in a bed in Haiti waiting to die, staring at the sky with flies in her mouth. But God used her to change my life and to show me that the pleasures of this world are fast slipping away. I’ve been given a gift of health and prosperity. I don’t deserve it and I don’t know why God has chosen to give it to me. But God asks me: “What will you do with your life, Justin? Will you live for yourself and your own comforts and your own glory in this life, or will you give it all away so that you can find true life and true joy in Christ? Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Merci, Jesus! Merci, Jesus! Jesus loves you, Caroline! Thank you, Caroline, for showing me Christ’s love and for changing my life!