He's loved on today

Ten year old _______ has no mother. His father is so severely disabled that he has to walk on his hands. No one, except the local church, takes care of him. He dresses in filthy tattered rags and his toes can be seen through the holes in the tops of his sneakers. I have seen this boy three years in a row now. The first time I saw him, he caught my attention because he so eagerly sang along to all of the songs we led at Vacation Bible School. Today, the leaders in the church unzip a suitcase and call him in. They hold new jeans and shirts up to his small body to check for the right size. He undresses right there and pulls the new jeans up and smiles. They give him two shirts and he puts them both on. They are green and say St Patricks Day 2012. He thinks they're great. They take the old shoes off and put on a pair of white socks and addidas shoes. Black with white stripes and green laces. He looks like a new boy. He looks loved. Not that every dirty child is unloved; not at all. But this guy is neglected and uncared for and today he was loved on. When he leaves the church compound, the leaders tell him to walk a different way home; away from the crowds of kids, because if the kids see him with his new, clean clothes, they will come running and asking for theirs. There is never enough to go around.