“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but only rest on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” – Christ the Solid Rock
As today approached I asked the Lord for a fresh taste of Easter. I wanted to be refreshed in the realization of what my savior did for me. I don’t want it to become just a story or a thought on the back end of my mind. I want what was done for myself and the world to always be fresh on my mind and in my heart. I know all too well that things in life can creep up and cause things to become stale and admittedly in my own walk that has happened to me before. Well the Lord was sweet enough to answer my prayer and also allow me to make a new friend at the same time.
The majority of our month was spent painting the church our Host’s help lead in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. We of course were happy to help meet their needs, but were open to help them in other ways outside of painting as well.
We had a break from painting one day when our hosts said that there was a lady in the community that needed help cleaning up her property as she was rebuilding her life and home there. As we pulled up on the property it was a mangled mess of grass, weeds, piles of car parts, tires, and the very basic (concrete floor and remnants of a front frame) structure of a house. Our team and hosts and the lady who owned the property set in to work cleaning it up the best that we could for that day.
I soon learned the tough and tragic story of our new friend, Trina and what led her back to this property she owned. She was having to start her life over. Through the tragic events that had recently happened Trina had recently come back to a relationship with the Lord, and at the beginning of the day it was easy to see that she was nervous. It was evident on her expression that things weighed on her heart and her mind.
As I was cleaning the property I found myself standing at the front of the house. I looked down below my feet and noticed that I was standing on a beautiful moss – covered stone walkway that led up to the front door. As I looked up at the two story A-frame house in ruins/progress I could see it coming together. I could see how this home once it was built would be a place of sanctuary and rest for Trina. I then began to get excited for what was to come.
Towards the end of the day after hearing more of Trina’s story I began to be overcome with emotion as I felt the Lord giving me words to speak over her. I felt like Jesus was taking me through Job and all that he went through and how Job still blessed the Lord and gave thanks to Him and how at the end of his story the Lord restored Job to a place that was better than he was before everything had happened. The the Lord gave me a verse of encouragement to speak over Trina that was Haggai 2:9 which reads :The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’” When I spoke the words given to me to give to Trina, hope and light sparked in her eyes. She smiled through the tears that were collecting in her eyes and thanked me with a simple hug.
Amazingly the Lord didn’t stop there. Throughout the day as I cleared out grass and trash and looked over the foundation for the house. The Lord was taking me through the reminder of what my life was like before Him. My situation spiritually was as hopeless as that run down house. Apart from Christ I had nothing. However, thats not what Christ saw when he looked at me. He saw the finished piece. He saw what I couldn’t see. He is the best at seeing the life and beauty within a hopeless situation. The crazy thing is that it doesn’t stop there. Christ came to make our latter days greater than our former days! Eternity doesn’t begin the moment that we die. It begins the minute we give our lives over to Christ and take hold of His grace and mercy. Our life circumstances may not change but we have far greater things to get us through the rest of this life than we did before, therefore making our latter days greater than our former.
Through Trina’s house of hope, the Lord answered my prayer to have a fresh perspective on Easter. Aside from that I ask that you pray for Trina as she continues her new life. Please pray for her encouragement, provision, strength and joy. I believe the Lord will use her story in incredible ways for the Kingdom.
