We found *Jose!
A little background on Jose is that he’s 15 years old and is one of the 8 boys in the drug and alcohol rehab center here in El Alto, Bolivia ranging from 15 to 18 years old.. Last Sunday we were coming home from church and while we were walking he ran away. On Tuesday Lydia and I went to the market with some of the workers from this ministry. As we were riding back in the taxi, one of the workers spotted Jose. I was SO excited! He had been missing for a couple days. Jami, the German volunteer, got out the car and went over to talk to Jose. The taxi stopped and another worker told me to go tell Jami that we need to leave and that he needs to take a micro van to get back. I ran over to them and noticed Jami was on the phone. As I approached them I said, “Hola Jose!” He just stared at me with his eyes glazed over. Stone cold. Then he took a sniff of the glue that he was holding in his hands. That’s when it hit me. In that moment I realized these boys are in the house for a reason and I just got so used to them being normal teenage boys. In that moment I realized these aren’t just normal teenage boys. These are boys who have struggled / are struggling with drugs and alcoholism coming in off the streets.
Jami got off the phone and told him that one of the brothers (leaders) of the house said he could come back if he wanted to or he could stay there. He wasn’t responding. He took another sniff. My heart broke. I told him, “Jose, te queremos y queremos que vengas.” (We love you and we want you to come.) He just stared all drugged up, looked down, and took another sniff. I ran back to the taxi to tell them that Jami was coming in 30 seconds. Then, Jami came followed by Jose. There was hope! Jami said he was going to take a micro van with Jose back to the house. As soon as we got back to the house, we saw Jami coming…without Jose. My heart sank. He said that he ended up not wanting to come.
Not wanting to come?! I was so confused. Why would they give him a choice? I just wanted to grab him and bring him back to shelter and food – away from the streets and drugs. Why did they give him a choice and why wouldn’t he choose the better one? One of my teammates said with a problem like drugs and alcohol something has to click. They can’t be forced to be changed. They need to be the one to choose it. No one else can make that decision for them.
Is this not true with the Lord? How often does God give people the choice to follow him and how much more often do people reject it? I wonder if this is what God feels like when people reject Him and His goodness? Angry. Confused. Disappointed. Broken-hearted.
Are you being a Jose right now in your life? Is God offering you His goodness and you’re rejecting it? Allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in you and choose God. He has so much to offer you!
*The real name of this boy is not being to keep confidentiality.
