Don't let the pouty face fool you! This little guy is a spit fire! I first met Ablaye a few weeks ago when we started to attend the Sunday ward service down in the hospital. This is a weekly church service in the hospital for the patients that is translated into Wolof. Roger and I decided that we need to get down to the hospital as much as possible while we're here, so we've been taking advantage of visiting hours and the ward service. It has been a huge blessing to be with the patients on a consistent basis and now some of them recognize us... well they recognize our kids!
Georgia and I headed down to the wards Friday evening to visit some patients. Truthfully, it always takes a bit of courage for me to walk down those stairs into the hospital. Surprisingly, I'm not concerned with what I might see, but I feel a little awkward and not sure what to say or what to do. But after a few minutes of smiles and waves, we seem to find our way and the time flies by. I was hoping in coming here that I'd get to use my French, but we've quickly found that Wolof is the language most spoken here and I haven't mastered that yet!
We saw a cute little boy named Madiakhou, and began to hit a balloon back and forth to each other. He giggled and smiled and always whispered something that caused us to move in a little closer to hear him. Of course we couldn't understand him! But as he held up 2 fingers and pointed under his bed several times, we finally connected the dots to the secret he was whispering. Under his bed were 2 more large balloons with faces drawn on them. He was keeping them hidden like treasure.
In no time little Ablaye was in the room, vying for attention and Madiakhou's balloons! Madiakhou also had a small tractor that was well placed behind his bed for safe keeping. In an effort to divert attention from his balloons, he pulled out the tractor to play with. We began to push a tractor back and forth across the floor but soon Ablaye held the tractor and walked behind his own bed, now claiming the tractor for his own. The picture was becoming more clear.
When you have something special, it's natural to want to keep it all for yourself. Hide it and keep it safe out of fear of someone else taking it. But a balloon is only so much fun when tapping it by yourself. To tap it back and forth with another brings laughter and loads more fun!
Sharing your treasure is a risk. Perhaps someone will indeed take it. But perhaps they'll surprise you and share the joy of the treasure with you! Making the joy all the more complete.
Go share your treasure today! Don't hide it!
*Just so you know, I did get the tractor back from Ablaye and return it to Madiakhou!
**We are never allowed to take personal pictures of patients. I'd love to show you more of these sweet people, but can only do so once authorized photographers have shared their photos! Below are some photos of my children playing with patients last month.
