Blog Post By: Joy Morris
We are driving up the bumpy hill, and I am trying to watch Kayla and Mike D since they are new– I want to see their response and expressions on their faces. But as we pull up to the top of the hill, I am overwhelmed and overjoyed by faces I know, faces that see me, that light up because they know me.
The bus moves further up, and to the left I see Sofia-she acts shy, standoffish, but for that second our eyes meet, and I see her light up, smile, and mouth Joy Joy. The bus stops, and kids are surrounding it. Ritchie has been running by the bus yelling Joy Joy. He gets on the bus, goes straight to me, and we just stand there and hug. Then I see Peter get on the bus, say my name and hug me. I point to Beth because she was with him on another trip, and I proceed out of the bus to find other kids. I see Esther, we embrace; I hold her face in my hands and tell her that I love her. Where is Kettely, that rough, tough girl who I wore down last year? We find each other, and I just cry. I don’t think I have ever held children tighter or longer than I did tonight. I held their faces and said “I love you” over and over. I heard JoyJoy called from every direction. They remembered me and knew my silly name, and I remembered them. Even kids I hadn’t met before yelled Joy Joy -they knew me because of Mike’s previous trips. What a precious reunion it was.
I think that’s how heaven will be-a glorious reunion-people running up to you, saying your name, so happy you are finally there. Even people you don’t know, coming up to say your name. Seeing Jesus’ face, having Him welcome me, showing me all the sweet dark faces that are there because people cared and came down here to love on orphans and share Jesus with them.
The saddest part of the reunion was when the kids asked me where Ryan was. We kept telling them Ryan was not here. They said, “Ryan come in July” adamantly, like “yes, he must return and be with us.” What will it be like in heaven if people ask where our loved one is–is he coming? and we do not know or worse yet we know they aren’t coming. It was heartbreaking for me today. It put a sense of urgency in my heart to know that those I love will be there, too. The glorious reunion and the love to be shared should not be missed.
It made me think of the words to a favorite song of one by Cindy Morgan:
“I do not want to walk through heaven’s gates and not see your face
And I do not want to dance beside the streams without you with me
Or see the angels fill the sky, the heavens singing all creation cries:
‘Hosanna, Savior, God our Father, Creator, Redeemer and King’
You’ve got to be there with me
Oh please, you’ve got to be there with me.
Will you be there with me?