Lost

I see him standing silently at the door and I know instantly that something is up. His face looks worried and his eyes are dewey. I walk over to him and offer a hand. His voice catches as he whispers 'I'm so sorry madam'...

I instantly guess what has happened as the electrical items for the school that I sent him to the market to collect are nowhere to be seen. 

'Did you loose the money?' I gently ask. 

He doesn't seem to comprehend that I have figured it out and starts to explain... 'I ran to the market and once I had collected everything at the counter I put my hand in my pocket and...' His voice trails off and he turns away and gulps. 

He tries again 'madam, I ran back as fast as I could and I have been searching...' 

'It's okay!' I try to reassure him, 'it is ok, it was an accident, I understand'.

I find my wallet and produce the required amount again. 'Here, you can take this and quickly go back before the shop shuts' 

He stands like a statute.

'It's not ok madam! 1000 shillings is a LOT of money'

He is physically shaking and I can tell this is a really big deal. 

I sit him down and decide to explain it out, I talk about how things happen for a reason, how we can learn from this that it is important to be careful, I get him to think about whoever finds the money and how happy they will be, maybe God knew they needed the money more than we did. 

He stops shaking but is still visibly upset. 

'Madam, when you struggle and struggle to get even 50 shillings... 1000 shillings is SO much money. I have never lost anything like that amount of money before!' 

Finally after much discussion he softly says 'it is okay madam' and gets up to return for the items. 

Later on I hear him at the door again. He comes in, puts the receipt on the counter. Looks at me with sad eyes and says again 'I'm so sorry madam'.

I feel like crying. 

Not because I care about the money. 

This upsetting event, this huge loss that he, an educated, hardworking 20 year old is grappling with, that has made him not want to eat, that has caused him to run kilometers in panic and that has shaken him so badly... is $12.60.

Twelve dollars sixty. In the scheme of things it is nothing. And yet here it is SO much. 

I can't wait. Cannot wait for the time where there is no more poverty.

"Even so, Come Lord Jesus".