Christy Getz wrote:

I believe in love at first sight. The first time he looked my way he tried to hide his interest by quickly glancing away, but I was hooked. His mischievous grin immediately snagged my heart. It only took a day until his hand was seeking out mine.

The object of my affection is named Ben; also known as “my messy melon monster” (he had a particular fondness for the delectable fruit). He is a seven year- old Chinese orphan, and one of my buddies for week one of camp. I don’t know if this is a phenomenon that occurs only in situations like these, when your heart’s desire is to be so full of God’s love that it just overflows onto others, without expectation of return, but in the span of five days my heart was fully engaged in loving Ben.

On the way back to the orphanage, Ben sat on my lap. Although he knew I couldn’t understand Chinese, he would tilt his head backwards looking at me upside-down, and smile and chat- knowing that understanding was more than words. Not long into the journey he fell asleep on my chest, and I used the time to pray over him.

Watching his tear stained face as our van pulled away was the hardest thing I‘ve ever had to experience. It literally felt as though my heart was being wrenched out of my chest. The place where he laid his head felt empty. I was providing love to the unloved, to the hard to love, and the forgotten. To see the power of a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement in the life of someone who rarely if ever gets to experience love, is priceless.