I sat in the local Karen village's church, with its concrete foundation and wooden walls, with its fluorescent lights bolted to the tin roof and oscillating floor fans nailed to the top of support posts throughout the room, and the conversation I just had with this little girl kept repeating in my mind like a song stuck in my head, "Almost," I replied, "this number is said thirty-eight."

Watching this little girl, sitting next to me during a game of Connect Four, trying so hard to recall the English words for numbers she knew very well in Thai and Karen, almost could have discouraged her to give up on learning or it could have given her hope to continue even though it's not easy. It all depended on who her teacher was. And as I replayed the last 20 minutes of game playing, I had no idea the intensity of self reflection that would come from something so casual. I reflected on my almost moments.

I can't even begin to list how many times I was almost there, almost had it, almost made the right choice. Sometimes it feels like my life is full of almost moments. I thought back on teachers who pushed my almosts into growing experiences and teachers who turned my almosts into moments of hopelessness and inability and I pray that this little girl has more hope than she does despair.

And in thinking about my moments of despair, my relationship with Christ came to mind. I look to him, the same way this little girl looked to me, knowing that I don't know the answer, but He does, knowing that I am trying really hard to get it right and He's there sitting next to me, guiding me. Maybe this is why the compassion and love became so overwhelming, I was allowed a glimpse of what it will feel like when things are made right. I was given an opportunity to see through the eyes of Christ and feel His love towards humanity. I've prayed countless times to see things the way the Lord does, to love like he does, to be given a concious of doing something when something can be done, and he has answered my prayers countless times. Today making it countless and one times.