Let me take you to Uganda...for a moment

The ache in your stomach is unlike one that you are accustomed to feeling; it is not one of nerves or disturbance, rather one created as a result of a constant bubbling laughter that is continually pouring from your lips, as you are settled into the orange Ugandan dirt with three Acholi children. You toss your head backward in delight and continue to spill over onto your back in hopes of stretching your perfectly aching stomach out for a moment. The vision your eyes catch draws your attention as you see the sun beginning to sink below the African horizon. Every color imaginable is resting peacefully in the sky as the coral sun dips behind the peak of the grass-roofed hut. You breathe in deeply, as if breathing in the beauty. The sound of giggles begins to escalate, pulling your attention back to the children; you turn your head to the left, imprinting your cheek into the powdery dirt. Your laugh swells up from the within as you realize Apiyo, Ocen, and Grace mimicking your every move, you begin to engage in their new game. In this moment, out of the corner of your eye you see their mom in the distance, she has welcomed you with a real, genuine, almost palpable love, allowing you to feel a touch of home in this place that in generous terms, is a stark contrast from the place you call home. Mama is joyfully cooking supper with their newborn brother, who is approaching two weeks, fastened securely on her back with a green blanket that matches the shade of the long African grass which fills the fields. As she stirs the freshly cooked beans and cassava the smell catches the wind and the gentle cool breeze blows it past you, your mouth begins to water and you feel an overwhelming peace.  The empty bellies that belong to the children surrounding you will be satisfied before the sun settles below the horizon. As they nestle into you, absorbing the love you are pouring into them, you realize how much they too have poured into you. These people are becoming much more than strangers, they are becoming your friends. They are finding a permanent residence in your heart as God is opening your eyes to a beauty in life that you have never experienced before. The hut that stands nearby, and the compound that you timidly walked into just hours before, is feeling more like a home. You were chosen by God for this moment, how is that possible? It is said most simply, He knows you and loves you. Rest-assure the Author of your life has brought you to this very moment for a purpose.

I am content. I am filled. I am happy.