The question I was asked most frequently initially after I decided to go on the Word Race was “What do you really think you are going to be able to accomplish in a month in each country?” My staple response was “That would only be limiting God and what he can do through me.” But in all honestly I am not really even sure I believed that to be true. Very few times in my life have I stepped out of my comfort zone and had to fully depend on God and trust Him in every situation. I basically put God in a box and limited Him to what my tiny brain could comprehend.
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7
During our first week of ministry in Costa Rica, we had the opportunity to work at a homeless men’s feeding, which occurs, weekly at Celebration church. I felt extremely out of place there that day and really couldn’t make sense of why. I resisted the temptation to just sit along the wall and be as uninvolved as possible. Before the meals were served there was a time of worship and teaching. I took a seat at the table among the men who had come. They ranged in age from mid twenties to late sixties. I couldn’t really communicate so I just smiled and nodded occasionally. After a while it didn’t feel awkward anymore. I began to pray and ask the Lord for direction and to show me how to show love to these men.
When the music began, we all stood. Some of the men were quiet, others sang and raised their hands in praise. It was quite a humbling experience to see these men who more than likely didn’t have much more than the clothes on their backs raising their hands and giving thanks to the Father. What do I have to be upset or uncomfortable about?
To my immediate left was a gentleman wearing dirty, tattered clothes and had visibly not bathed in quite some time. After a few songs were played I felt an extreme urge to step closer to him and place my hand on his shoulder. So I did. He immediately looked at me and with tears in his eyes he just nodded. We couldn’t communicate but he showed me that he needed that more than I even knew. Thankfully the Lord knew. Immediately, I began to pray for this man. Although I had no idea of his story I prayed that he would conquer the addictions in this life and that the relationship with his family would be restored. As I was praying I could feel his body trembling. The Holy Spirit was working. I could feel His presence in the room. It was so thick! After the message was given, it was time for the meals to be served. I rushed right over and got several plates of food and served those men seated directly around me. I sat with them as they ate and afterwards I stood at the door and shook each of their hands. I wanted to show them respect and treat them as equal men. The Lord showed me they were not men that had come to the church for a handout they were my brothers who needed a little help. I found out after service that the man’s name was Leonel.
A few days later we had begun a project to sort clothing that had been donated to the church. It was a huge project and required me to miss the feeding that day. I was so disappointed. To make matters worse the feeding was right upstairs from where we were working. I could hear the music from the storage closet were I was working. Today I guess it was my turn to pray form afar. Near the close of the service I took a break to go upstairs to see if Leonel had come. I found him sitting in very same spot and a couple others from our squad who speak Spanish were talking to him. They talked with him offered him a bible that he could take with him. Afterwards, I was able to hear his story and it broke my heart! He had been struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and had been separated from his wife and children for quite a while. The Lord is so good! Exactly what the Lord placed on my heart to pray for him was exactly what he had been dealing with.
The other day, a member of our squad stood up and read an email from one of the ministry volunteers and this is what it said …
“Right now, I’m at the homeless people feeding center. 20 minutes ago Leonel (the man we prayed over and gave a Bible to) called me because he wanted to tell me that he had already read the second page of John. As the conversation continued he also told me with a grateful heart that 3 days ago his wife gave him a second opportunity and he got to see and hug his kids for the first time in a really long time. He got to send them for their first day of school today!!
He also got a job and he has been trusted with a lot of responsibilities there. He decided to quit his addiction and he even told me a couple of stories about it.”
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20
You see, without God, there really isn’t much we can accomplish in a month’s time. But what the Lord can do through us is beyond our comprehension! Therefore, I am making the choice to take God out of the box that I have placed him in for far too long! And I would encourage you and those who asked me that question to do the same. We serve a God that is doing immeasurably more!
