Palenque is a town that attracts people mainly because of its nearby Mayan Ruins and Cascadas de Agua Azul (cascades of blue water). Our team is staying at a Bible school two miles away from the town center and has been making trips into town during the afternoons. Although we are not in the rainy season, the climate has been pretty wet. We slosh through puddles and walk on a tree-lined road of unevenly paved, but equal-sized concrete slabs that are loosely embedded on the wet soil.
The other day, while in town running errands, Amy and I separated from our team because we had to head back for a meeting. On the way back, we noticed a man sitting at the steps of a shop, watching over his little box of mixed goodies, which looked like peanut brittle and candies that resembled shell-shaped marzipan, and a cardboard sign that read “.50”. He had glasses on but it was obvious that he had no vision in his left eye. We began talking with him but he smiled and gestured “no” with his hands and pointed to his ears and his mouth. He was deaf and mute as well.
At first, communicating with this man was difficult but we started signing, “We love God” and asked him (by signing) if he loves God. He nodded his head in affirmation and smiled. His sweet and gentle spirit was captivating. Here was a man who cannot speak, hear and blind in one eye yet he was happy. Because of this, my spirit was not heavy as one should expect it to be but light and also happy. However, I wanted this man to be healed so that he can experience God’s healing touch; so that he can speak, hear and see. We continued to sign and asked if we could pray for him. He smiled sweetly and nodded yes.
Amy and I laid hands on this man and began praying. Part way into the prayer, we both felt our hearts beat faster and faster. The gentleness that came from this man brought me to tears. After praying, he looked even more at peace but he still couldn’t speak, hear and or see.
Often times, when we see a person who is physically challenged, we are quick to pity them. “How limited he must be”, we think to ourselves, “it must be difficult to be him or her”. However, this man was more at peace than anyone I’ve seen through this town. He had an unspeakable joy that was radiant. This brings me back to Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he wrote, “… for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content…both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Are you content where you are today? Are you letting limitations, internal or external factors dictate your contentment? I challenge you today to rejoice in the Lord
always so you also will shine and radiate and touch someone’s life as this man did mine.
