Beauty Matters

Beauty Matters.

Small rivers of light seeping into the murky darkness.

Without these bright ribbons of light,

the black night would crush us.

The heaviness would drown all hope.

Yet this light reflects a true hope.

As the light trickles in,

it grows brighter and brighter

until soon where there was once darkness,

there is now only hope.

I crouch down next to the sixteen year old and inhale as I examine the deep cut on his eyelid.

I am not a doctor. I am not a nurse.

I feel like I have no idea what I need to do.

A group of about ten other boys ranging in age from eight to twenty-four huddle around their friend protectively.

"I think you need to go to the hospital." I tell him.

He looks up at me with his one good eye, the other eye completely swollen shut and crusted over with dried blood. I can see the hurt and fear he is desperately trying to hide. He nods his head slowly.

"I will come help!" A curly haired little one pipes up. It's his birthday today. He's twelve years old.

We jump into a taxi and drive to the nearest medical post. I am thankful for kind nurses and an amazing doctor who actually cares.

Five stitches and two hours later, we leave the hospital and stop at a restaurant for some fried chicken.

I hand the birthday boy his present, shorts and a athletic shirt. They are red, his favorite color. He jumps across the table and hugs me.

"Thank you Hermana Lily!" he says and his smile fills my heart.

Even in the face of violence and pain there are moments like this where hope breaks in.

A hope that is true because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

A light that triumphed over the darkness.

So we will continue to look for the beauty in the dark places.

Because it is there.

As the light trickles in, it grows brighter and brighter until soon where there was once darkness,

there is now only hope.