I love returning to the same scene a year later and analyzing how things have changed (or not changed.) I got to experience this again this morning when I had a Holy Saturday visitation with many of the women I have shared Via de Cristo experiences with. Something that happens only once a year is a wonderful milemarker in your life – that is ripe for reflection. I remember only 4 years ago – how frustrated and torn I was from constantly serving and never being fed spiritually at my old church. Everything was focused on new believers and people like me who were willing to serve got thrown into leadership roles without any support. I remember suggesting to the church leadership we should have classes for the seasoned believers to help keep us spiritually fed and being told that I was expected to have the maturity to endure such things….that all the church’s focus needed to be on the new believers.
I clearly remember asking God for help! I asked him to put mature believers in my life to help me grow and show me a new way. Looking around this morning in the beautiful faces of my answered prayers – I am so humbled by our awesome God!
To condense a 4 year journey into one sentence. It’s all about God’s love for us (period) - this is what these ladies have taught me. How can I ever thank these ladies for what they have given to me – a fresh perspective on the Lord that has forever changed me? I can’t. But it compels me to pay it forward…..
To them I say:
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
The first time I ever heard this song by Ray Boltz – it was being sung to me by a participant at Via de Cristo the first time I served on staff. I felt totally unworthy of the song – but it certainly one of those moments on the highlight reel of my life!
Let me tell you about the second time it was song to me – when we visited our Compassion child Ada in El Salvador a few weeks ago. Ada is 14 years old. I have sponsored her for over 6 years now – she was my first Compassion kid and holds an extra special spot in my heart. When we got to the project – she and her friends at the project had prepared an elaborate song and dance show for us. They had a band comprised of some of the kids in the project and they were playing popular praise music in Spanish. The girls were singing the song….People from every nation and tongue…..from generation to generation….we worship you! Alleluia….Alleluia….for who you are…..you are good!
Well I recognized that song – even in Spanish with the band that often missed the beat because they were still learning how to play. So I started singing it in English in Ada’s ear…..next thing I know – I am being escorted up to the stage and being asked to sing it in English for everyone! This is way out of my comfort zone! But I felt a slap on my head (it had to be the Holy Spirit) and a voice telling me – “Hello – this is what you are here for! To reach out to these kids and make a difference….sing!” Ada and I were on the stage singing together about the beautiful character of God in front of her friends and teachers at the Compassion project.
Several acts later – they put 2 chairs in front of the stage and had Patrick and I sit down. Then the kids gathered around us and sang “Thank you for giving to the Lord” in English to us. They used sweeping gestures with their hands and got down on their knees at certain points - to try to emphasis special parts in the song. No pics of this performance – darn it! But it’s forever burned in my memory – I can’t possibly think of anything sweeter to happen to us! The fact that my special “Via De Cristo” song was being sung to me in El Salvador made it that much more special to me!
Our visit with Ada was AMAZING…..and to be able to spend the day and witness her strong faith in the Lord and being shown how her involvement with the Compassion project positively changed her life – was an incredibly blessing to me. God let me be part of this – and I am so thankful to him that I got to actual witness it first hand. Ada was abandoned by her mother. She lives with her Abuela (her Grandma) in a home that is in danger of falling down the mountain – with limited electricity and plumbing. Yet she has Hope…..she has dreams…..she teaches Sunday School and wants to be a journalist. She has plans to go to college. These aren’t the kind of dreams that kids in her neighborhood typically have – but Ada has them! It is a beautiful God thing called Hope….instilled in her because the Compassion project and the church that sponsored it - stepped into her life and showed her all about God’s love for her! Her hope is our answered prayers for her!
After our visit with Ada – we went on to Nicaragua and visited a boy named Moises that we sponsor from Compassion as well. Moises is a lot shyer than Ada – but Moises like Ada has hope! Moises wants to be a doctor when he grows up – a surgeon to be exact! If you ask him – he will tell you exactly how he plans to do it – too! Moises community is very, very poor. But he has the Hope that only knowing how deep God’s love for him can create. He knows with God anything is possible! Guess what? We were a part of helping him realize this. He was very excited to tell us about his testimony on how God answers prayers that he was going to give in his church that Sunday. Every year the people in his church write down a prayer that they are going to ask God to answer that year. This year – Moises’ prayer was that Patrick and I would come to Nicaragua to meet him! His pastor was right there affirming his story and just as excited about it!
In a totally unexpected twist….God used me (us) to answer Moises prayer!!!
I have to admit to you this whole thing is blowing my mind away. I’ve realized suddenly how self centered my focus has been. Did I really plan this trip to visit Moises - was it really my idea??? Or was it the Holy Spirit prompting me on behalf of Moises... and if this is true....what about the rest of my life?
The people in our lives - the way we touch each others hearts and see God - it is a huge mystery how God makes it all happen. But I pray when I become reflective again - I can at least be blessed enough to see that God is still using me to answer the prayers of others….
Just like he used the ladies of the Via De Cristo group to answer mine!
Thank you, Thank you Jesus!
