So this is a story from February while I was in Nicaragua but it still makes me smile every time it crosses my mind so I have to share.
During our time in Nicaragua there were many days where we would go house to house praying for the people of the small villages. It usually went along the lines of asking the family a little about them, asking if they knew of Jesus, or asking if there were ways we could pray for them. It was amazing getting to know people and their stories and being able to just sit along side them and let them know they were loved.
At one point we came up to a shack where a middle aged man lived. Because of the amount of time that passed I can’t remember his name. But when we walked up I felt something different, I didn’t want to ask him what he needed prayers for or where his family was. I didn’t know why but I just blurted out “What’s the best thing that has happened this week?” After the impulse rush of the question I became nervous thinking ‘What if a tragedy happened, what if he’s hurting, what if he can’t think of anything.’ After the question he walked into his small home made of scrap wood, tin, and tarp. When he walked back out he had his bible in his hand and a smile on his face. He opened the bible and showed us a folded up paper he had inside.
He then explained to us with great joy that just a few days before he got cleared from the doctor. He no longer had kidney disease. Through our time in Nicaragua we came across many men with kidney disease from the herbicides used at the sugarcane plantations they work at, and many die at a very young age leaving behind their wives and children with no income. Through the days of grieving with hurting people, we also got a chance to rejoice and celebrate.
As he continued to share with us all of our faces lit up. He was so excited to share with us the greatness of our God. He told us how he had been praying day after day for healing. He told us how excited he was to share the news with us. We all just got to stand around and celebrate together and it was so beautiful!
Y’all the smile and excitement on this man’s face still brings joy to my heart. That moment made me realize how much I love celebrating with people. Through the difficult times and easy times there is always something to celebrate.
[Photo from the village in Nicaragua]
