Profound Love
Florence L
What is the real meaning of love? And what does ‘Profound Love’ really look like? How do we, as finite people, express this unlimited love? Throughout these years of serving on the field, these questions would very often pop into my head and prompt me to reflect on what holistic care is, causing me to renew my understanding and to truly live it out.
When I first arrived here at the beginning of this year, I realised the weather, the environment and the way of life were very different from the place where I was serving before. However, one thing in common in both places was my involvement with the MSI scholarship program through which we were able to help and walk alongside students who grew up on the mountains. However, the first big challenge as I took over the scholarship project was that the students and I were either complete strangers or we had met only once before. On top of all this, because of the pandemic, I was unable to visit them at their school. We could only connect through the internet, doing online activities or one-on-one video chats.
But I finally got to meet them in person during our summer camp. Amazingly, despite only having met online, we all felt an unexplainable closeness to one another as if we had known each other for a long time. After a brief warm up, everyone was fully engaged in the activities. This reminded me of the phrase: Nothing is impossible with Him.
Looking back on these last few months, so much of my work seemed trivial, like chasing after them to submit information and asking about their school life. Only while trying to arrange a time to do video calls with them, did I realise just how busy their student lives are. And when we did get to talk on the phone, whether it was about their studies, their emotions or about their families, I was content to spend time listening to them. Indeed, they all became very dear to my heart and their needs were in my thoughts; I could walk alongside them and lend them a helping hand when needed. In the end, I have realised as long as we are genuine and sincere, the students can truly experience profound love.
