A Priceless Gift

The beautiful feet and dusty flip flops of some of the children at a feeding site.

Every late afternoon while we were in Boracay, our group helped at several of the feeding sites the ministry runs for impoverished children. We sang songs with them, acted out Bible stories, provided basic first aid, distributed vitamins, did a little craft, and helped serve them a simple meal. If there was the room to do it, we turned a jump rope for them and even played a little basketball.

At one of the sites an older girl, maybe 11 or 12 years old, befriended me. She asked my name and told me hers. It was Micah. She smiled a lot and hung around near me. I was helping lots of children make bracelets and rings out of colored pipe cleaners as our craft. When I slid the fuzzy, flower shaped pipe cleaner ring onto her finger, I noticed that she had another ring on, a metal one with a little purple jewel in it. I complimented her on it and she beamed.

As twilight fell, we prepared to leave and the leader encouraged the children to go back to their homes. We waved and called good-bye to the group of children, high-fiving, hugging, and tousling hair as we began to walk away. Micah ran up to me and pressed something into my hand, closing my fingers around the object and grinning at me. I opened my hand to find her pretty little ring with the purple jewel. I immediately objected, saying I couldn't take it. "Why?" she asked, a hurt look on her face.

I was conflicted. Should I keep it? I didn't need it. This little girl lived in a village of shacks. She had just finished the rice gruel supper provided by the ministry. Her feet were dusty in her flip flops, just like the other children's. Had she given me the only pretty thing she had? I knew the ring was cheap. It wasn't worth much. But I think she loved it. She had obviously been pleased when I had complimented it earlier.

But she wanted to give it. She had placed it in my hand. How could I not take what she had given so willingly?

"Do you really want me to keep this?" I asked her. She looked into my eyes and smiled and nodded.

"Thank you so much." I hugged Micah and smiled back at her, then walked away with the ring in my hand, following the rest of our group back to our hotel and our supper at a restaurant on the beach.

Back to my comfortable life, a life with no material needs unmet.