I’m going to share with you two individuals that have broken my heart and impacted me in different ways…
We drove to the dirty corner of the street with men sleeping one after the other. We went to pray over the homeless, and that is when he walked up.
His breath reeked of vodka, and his eyes were bloodshot…
I greeted him and he responded sternly, “Miss, GO! Get off of my sidewalk. Just GO!”
But, I didn’t move a muscle because I could see this man needed to see Jesus’ love…
I asked him his name and to show off his English skills, he spelled it to me…
J-O-S-E
He looked into my eyes and started crying.
Through tears and hurt in his eyes, He told me that I reminded him of his daughter.
Jose is in his mid 50’s; He has 4 children; 3 boys and 1 girl.
He and his family were living in the US, but he got deported and hasn’t seen them in 14 years.
He pointed across the street to a bench at a park and he continued crying…
“…Every day for 14 years, I have sat there. I have waited for my kids to come back looking for me. I sit there from sunrise to sunset waiting. I would do anything to see them again.”
My heart broke. I can’t fathom…
Jose looked into the sky and mumbled, “Nothing can save me. Not even my GOD!”
That was the invitation I was waiting for…
I grabbed his shoulder, looked him into the eyes, and said,
“Jose, that is where you are wrong, our God can save you. And actually, he is the ONLY one who can save you from this pain that you are feeling.”
Jose chose his pain to take control of his life.
3 weeks later –
With our chairs cluttered in her small kitchen, we sat and listened to Marta Lopez speak to us about her testimony. The more she spoke, the more my heart broke, but at the same time, the more it was filled.
Marta has cancer that started in her liver and spread throughout her entire body.
Her stomach swells and fills with liquid to where she looks as if she is 6 months pregnant and the only way to get it out is to go to the hospital to suck it out.
Some days she can’t even move. Her hands stop working, her vision becomes blurred, she gets fever and headaches- it attacks her entire body.
She sat in silence for a few seconds, and as her eyes filled with tears; she mumbled, “The only thing I ask of God is to keep my feet healthy so that I may walk to church.”
I was convicted. I was encouraged. I was in tears.
We circled around Marta, and I dropped to my knees and held her hands and prayed for God to heal her from the inside out. I prayed that she would continue being strong and continue being a light and a walking testimony of faith through the sufferings and trials we may face.
As I looked deep into her dark eyes, I saw a peace. A peace that pierced my heart and triggered the thought… “If I were in her position, could I smile and declare that God is good and that He does indeed work ALL things for our good? Could I walk (or lay helplessly) in confidence that the Lord’s plans are better than my own? Even though the rest of my body may not work, could I pray for feet to go to church? Could I walk in church and raise my hands and PRAISE him because He is good? ”
Marta chose for the peace of God to control her life.
I have been challenged by both of these stories,
So, I challenge you, as well…
What do you choose?
Are you a Jose or are you a Marta?
