This is a story written by my friend Dick Rutgers, a missionary in Guatemala. It really made me stop and think about which kids I pay attention to, why I am drawn to certain kids and not others. Pretty convicting.

1. My Name is Delmi as told to Dick Rutgers

2. I live at Hermano Pedro Orphanage. I am the ugliest child here. Oh, it’s all right for me to talk about it. Everyone else does. Most of the people that walk by my crib, where I’m locked upmost of the day, don’t actually say it with words, but they still tell me that I am ugly. They say it with their eyes. Most look away and quickly walk on to other cribs. But I still hear what their eyes are saying.

4. Once a man named Daryl came and visited the orphanage. Daryl actually stopped by my bed and looked at me. He even reached out and touched me. When Dick asked Daryl which of the kids he wanted to take along to lunch at Camperos Daryl actually chose me. After lunch he even brought me to the park and put my feet into a pool. When I looked into the pool I saw a reflection that told me that I was no longer ugly. When I looked into Daryl's eyes they told me that I was beautiful. I will never forget that day.

5. For a day or two I actually believed that the pool had made me beautifu,l but within a few days that beauty evidently faded. I could once again see it in the eyes of the visitors that would glance at me and then walk on to one of the perfect kids like Jo Jo.

6. Today Dick took two of the boys from his neighborhood along with him though and one of the boys named Fernando asked Dick if he could spend time with me. Fernando even asked if he could feed me. I was amazed because no one ever wants to feed me. At first I thought that Fernando had something wrong with him. He didn't seem to see my ugliness. I wondered if perhaps Fernando was blind.

7. When I looked up into Fernando's eyes I saw my reflection. It was the same reflection that I had seen in Daryl's eyes a few months ago. It was the reflection of a beautiful little girl, some one nearly as perfect as Jo Jo.

8. Was this really happening or was I only dreaming? If it was a dream I never wanted to wake up. It felt so good to be beautiful. I wanted it to last forever.

9. When I looked back up into Fernando's eyes my reflection was gone. It didn't seem to matter though because I suddenly saw an even better reflection. It was the reflection of Christ.

10. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see— a splendid crown in the hand of God. Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride. Isaiah 62:2b-4