by Mara W., on mission in Ecuador
Daniel and Taylor, two brothers aged 12 and 3, live directly in front of our house. Not a day (or sometimes an hour) goes by without one of them coming to our door. Their constant presence has made me aware of the power of our own presence in their lives. The relationship between these boys and their mom is very difficult, especially for Daniel. Home is a place of little attention and love. What often manifests itself is his difficult and attention-calling behavior, which sometimes (okay, let’s be honest – often) tries my patience. But it’s in this most difficult, trying moments, that his thirst for friendship, for a place to belong, for a purpose, for responsibility, becomes clear to me. I constantly have to remind myself to look past his behavior and seek to love him all the more when he pushes my buttons. Learning to love Daniel has also taught me about an important aspect of loving: loving another person does not mean making sure that they are always happy with you, it doesn’t mean being the “good guy” all the time. It means constantly seeking their good in every circumstance, it means telling them the truth even when it’s not easy. This means that sometimes Daniel gets angry with us when we have to correct his behavior or “ground” him from our house for a few days in order to teach him a lesson. But we are also a lesson in forgiveness for him, because no matter how many times he misbehaves or hurts us with his words and attitude, we are always ready to forgive him when he comes to say that he’s sorry. I know that beneath his tough-guy attitude lies a great love for us, and I see how much he cherishes our presence in his life. He once said: “Heart’s Home is like my other family.”