The sight overwhelmed me. It was May 2006, and I was at a school somewhere in Kenya. Our team had gone to spend some time with children who had lost both parents to AIDS. Gathered in the courtyard of the school were over 300 children. It was just the beginning of what I could hardly believe I was seeing.At one point I looked down to adjust my camera and my eyes saw the feet of one of the boys. One foot had a shoe and one foot was bare. My eyes immediately glanced upward to see who had only one shoe. There he was...smiling as if he had everything in the world to be happy about. I found myself somewhat in disbelief. Could it really be that a boy, having only one shoe, could smile so big? It was a certain smile and my eyes were not failing me. Indeed, the face you see on the right and the feet you see on the left are from the same boy. He was probably about 12 years old. Both of his parents had died of AIDS. He lived in an orphanage. He came up to us to greet us and thank us for coming to his school. I shook his hand, hugged him and told him it was an honor to be at his school. I thanked him for his friendliness and for the warm greeting he and the others extended to our team. In a few moments we parted ways. I turned to walk away with tears in my eyes. My heart had been blessed by the warmth and love of a boy with a thankful heart...a boy with only one shoe.
I will never forget the experience. That sight is locked up in the vault where countless other memories are stored, sights that I have witnessed all over the world. But never had I seen one having so little with such a smile.
As I approach Thanksgiving next I am reminded of how good God is and how I live with blessings too many to tell. I pray that in every way and in every circumstance I might convey thankfulness.
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18
