City Lights

I just got back from seeing the movie I Am Legend with some guys and it put me in an emotional slump. The movie was good, but it wasn’t that good. When I walked in the door at home I found Amy, exhausted, half-asleep on the couch at 8:30 PM.
The reason behind it is that today we participated in an event called City Lights. It emotionally drained us. The main responsibility that Amy and I had was to watch over the Bounce Castle as kids jumped inside of it. We were in a pretty rough neighborhood of South Auckland. Many of the kids that we met were orphans or come from difficult families. There were several 4 and 5 year-old children with the mental and social aptitude of someone half their age. There were kids covered from head to foot in parts of the body where worms and parasites were attacking them. There were foster children with dirtier mouths and harder hearts than any kids of the same age that I have ever met, and my career is in working with youth. When these kids were contrasted against the children who come from healthy homes, it was gut wrenching.
Our hearts were breaking for these beautiful little people and it was an unspoken relief when we were asked to go and pick up trash at an open air market. But we were inspired by the people who work with these tough little kids, day in and day out. We realize that even in these seemingly desperate situations, God has not forgotten His precious little children. The fact that they were picked up and brought to this function by committed volunteer youth workers from local churches testifies to God's concern and His goodness.
A God who cares about the most marginalized people is a God who I want to serve. A God who loves hurting children is a God who I am pleased to love. This is why Amy and I came to New Zealand. We came because the God who cares about the marginalized and loves the hurting is on a mission to heal this broken world. We came because He has graciously invited us to participate in His mission. And at the end of a day in which God has broken and drained us, we are so thankful that He has used it to heal and enliven those children who are broken and hurting.
At the end of the day the God that we serve and love is the God who serves and loves us. Praise be to God.

You can see pictures and learn more about City Lights at citylights.co.nz.