A Christmas Moment
This little girl is smiling, but what she's really thinking is "what the heck kind of food is this?!"
Last Saturday I had the privilege, along with a few others from our church, of helping escort about 30 kids from the Klong Toey Community Center (Klong Toey is the biggest Slum area of Bangkok) to sing Christmas Carols at Samitivej Hospital. Samitivej is one of the premier private hospitals in Bangkok.
Most of the kids from the slum don't get out of the slum very often. To say they were excited is an understatement. In my car, at least, they entertained each other by saying bad words out loud and laughing hysterically during the 10 minute drive to the hospital. (It's amazing how similar kids are all over the world!)
When we arrived the five kids in my car hopped out and ran into the hospital lobby, down the corridor and almost out of site. Yikes! Nurses and patients looked on - unsure what to make of us.
The kids were very cute and did a great job singing Christmas Carols to patients and staff.
But the highlight was lunch. The hospital promised lunch for the kids. We assumed that a simple Thai meal in the staff cafeteria. Instead they ushered the kids into the poshest restaurant on the grounds, L'Avenue. Most of the children have never eaten at a sit down restaurant before, much less a high-end place.
For about 45 minutes on Saturday they were treated like kings and queens. Most didn't know what to make of the food, but they loved the experience and they will probably never forget it.
It's almost Christmas. As a Christian I will celebrate the birth of my King, Jesus. He said He was the kind of King who came "not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) One of the things I think it means to be a follower of a King like that is that we go out of our way to serve others, especially those who are forgotten and marginalized in our world. (Matthew 25)
The kids from Klong Toey will most likely spend a fair amount of their lives serving those who are wealthier than them. But for a couple hours last Saturday, those who are rich served them. It was beautiful to see. It was a Christmas Moment I will not soon forget.
