When I think about the Legacy Project of Help One Now, I imagine the bricks laid, the mortar spread, the walls slowly inching higher and wider. I think about the backs bent and the hands scraped, the sweat dripped and the knees cracked. I envision the desks arranged and the books organized, the pencils sharpened and the doors opened. I think about the uniforms pressed and the shoes tied, the teeth brushed and the hair combed, the child eager. Small, simple parts of a big, beautiful whole.
I think about my son, the one who now lives among the heavenly hosts. I remember the two dimples around the smile, the side part of the blonde strands, the eyes like deep water and the hands still chubby like those of a baby. I think about my time with him, the books read while he nestled, the tears wiped when he hurt, the two arms that squeezed my neck, the kisses given and returned. I look back on his life, the first steps, the words learned, the spirit tender, the heart proud. Small, simple parts of a big, beautiful whole.
I struggle with how to do it.
How do I honor heaven with my life on earth? (Tweet this!)
I don’t know how to start, or where to begin. I feel small and inadequate. I see the children of Haiti, and I cannot fathom how I might begin to shed light. But I remember my own child and my desire to expand my love for him by loving children I will never know. I think about those bricks being laid one by one. And I remember those two dimples, one on each side. Maybe a big, beautiful whole must always start with small and simple.
Oh, I would move heaven and earth to have the chance to see my son grow into his dreams, to become a teacher or a painter, a scientist or a coach. This precious son of mine, he now lives fully who he was made to be, a child of God. But these children of Haiti, might I move heaven and earth for them too, the same way I would for any of my own? Might I hold their dreams, their futures, their hopes with the same intent, and the same care?
And might I edge heaven to earth by taking a small, simple step? The Legacy Project is fully funded, but the real work starts now. As we enter this new year, let’s see this project through to completion.
Let’s be a part of something big and beautiful. (Tweet this!)
Editor’s note: You can track the progress of the Legacy Project online, and stay up to date so you know how to pray and support this project going forward.
Beautiful, Settle.