Just a Ball?

Remember the girl I told you about, the 14 year old I chased around all week? Well, I took a soccer ball with me to Belize, brand new Carolina blue except for the minor wear and tear that came from my soccer lesson and the few times I just kicked the ball around by myself before leaving. I thought I might leave it with a kid in Belize should any kind of meaningful relationship come about. So, I left the ball with Abby to give to Ariely, with a sharpie marker message inscribed,"Ariely, Take Care. Thanks for finally speaking English. Love, Mel" I got this message from Abby yesterday about the delivery. This story makes me think about all the times I have withheld love not thinking it would really matter..Don't do that.

Hey Melanie-
Thanks so much for reminding me about the Ariely thing. I had a thought this morning as I was getting ready for work at 6am to remember to tell you about it!

So, we drive up to her house on Sunday morning. She comes right up to us, wearing her 2 SS wristbands. We tell her that we were headed out but that we had something from you for her. We get the ball out of the backseat, & she honestly, I think, was a little shocked/didn't know what to do. Courtney & I talked about that moment later & realized that this was probably one of the first things in her life that she could call her own. It was this really amazing moment where that ball shattered all of these walls that she had built up. She read the message & laughed. She said thank you. We told her that she had to promise us to share it with the other girls though (half joking, guessing that the ball will probably sit on a shelf in her room like a trophy or something). She was so humbled by that. I said, "Ariely, we'll miss you." She replied, "Me too." It was in those two words, those two powerful words, that I knew that we, especially you, could walk away knowing that we had loved her well the past few weeks. Yes, she was tough, but that was such an act for more attention. She knew it all along, but she, too, understood the value of the love that we poured into her. Little does she know that we walk away with a huge lesson as well- seeing the difference we can make, but also the ways that a child can bring us great challenges, but mostly great joy.

Wow, well that sounds like a blog. Maybe I'll copy that over. I thought you should know. I wish you could have been there. When you get to heaven, ask God for a replay of that moment. :)

Abby