Roberto came up to me unexpectedly. We had been handing out Bibles and I didn’t hand one out yet in this village in Nicaragua. The pastor told me to give one to this man who had just returned from work.
We talked for a brief couple of minutes and he smiled when he got the Bible. He seemed really pleased. I thought that was the end of the story. But it wasn’t until I was invited to go visit a boy’s home who could not walk that I would understand the whole picture.
When I first saw the young man, I was blown away. His eyes pierced mine. He was Roberto’s son with the same name. Roberto Francisco. His father had gone to the church to get the Bible for him since he could not go himself.
He was in a wheelchair because he could not walk but that’s not all that struck me about him. Despite his weakness, he poured out inner strength. Despite his short, twisted limbs, he showed excellence. He talked about his goal to be an engineer and how he was doing in school.
His resolve shone through as he spoke about his favorite passage of the Bible being how God created the earth. This revealed his engineer heart and his passion for figuring out how things work.
When we reminded him of how much God loved him and was watching over him, he nodded in understanding. I could tell his heart was for God, even though he didn’t tell me. I don’t know where he is on his journey. But something shone about his spirit. His father had went to get him a Bible since he could not. His face was lit up with joy; he was so happy to hold the Bible in his hands. His own Bible.
We read his favorite part of the Bible together at the beginning of Genesis. He said that he liked how God made something so intricate as the earth out of nothing, blackness. This is the same thing God does all the time.
God is in the business of making something out of nothing. He loves to create beauty out of ashes. He creates hope out of despair. He is the God of miracles, love, and new beginnings. He is the one who made Roberto strong with an inner strength and a persevering spirit. He is the one who will watch over him. God is the one who will lead Roberto to follow the desires of his heart as he delights in Him. Psalm 37:4- Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Roberto will stay in my mind as someone who chose triumph instead of despair. As someone who is not afraid to go after his goals and fight hard for them, no matter what. Even though Roberto faced what may seem an insurmountable obstacle, he still is fighting. He is still working towards his goals. He believes in a God that is greater. Greater than our weakness, greater than our fear, greater than our “impossible.”
Roberto reminded me of King David. He had the strength to fight, just as David fought bears and lions as a young shepherd boy. How can you show more of King David’s strength in your own life?
Matthew 19:26- Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Please pray for Roberto:
- for inner strength and restoration
- for continued hunger for God’s word as He reads the Bible; for understanding
- for protection from despair and discouragement
- to delight himself in the Lord and for God to bless his mind and schooling with His favor, strength and success
- for Roberto to live the full abundant life that God created him for
- for encouragement and for new friends and believers to keep encouraging him and his family
Please pray for me:
- for God’s favor and strength as I start out the new month and ministry- teaching English at a bilingual school on a mountaintop in Honduras!
- for God to provide for my next deadline of $13,000 which was due at the end of February, for Him to provide a miracle so I can stay on the Race and continue learning, growing, serving and seeing God’s miracles
- for me to become more a woman after God’s own heart
- for me to learn more Spanish
Thank you! Love you! Te amo!
Love,
Jen
