the sweetest thing....

Today I found myself alone in a room with a few Benin women. They spoke French, and I didn't. It makes it a bit harder to strike up a conversation.

Fortunately for me, there were two kids in the room also. Kids speak the universal language of funny faces and smiles, so communicating with them wasn't a problem.

The little girls name was Renee. I'm guessing she was around the age of four.

At first, Renee was a little hesitant about being my friend. But she quickly ended up in my lap. As I held her, she fell asleep in my arms.

There were five minutes of my 12 hour shifts, which defined the reason I became a pediatric nurse. They were the five minutes when I wasn't giving a medication, changing a bed, or looking for a doctor. They were the times when I simply got to care for my patients. Whether it was rubbing a pre-schoolers forehead as they fell asleep, or singing a lullaby to a baby, it was always the most beautiful part of the day.

Some of our kids didn't have parents. No one came tuck them in at night. Nurses become the substitute moms.

I'm sure if Jesus were on earth, He'd be tucking them in at night. To do so in His stead, was an amazing privilege.

Even though I'm currently not working as a peds nurse, I still love children. Today, one fell asleep in my arms. I was able to capture a piece of those sacred five minutes.

It's really the sweetest thing.