The wheels on his walker were caked with mud. Dust covered the frame and the handle bars. He wore tattered black boots and kaki cargo pants. The blistering Nicaraguan sun gave him a light caramel tan. The debilitating disease called cerebral palsy had claimed his life since birth. He drug his feet across the cobblestone pavement, as he used the majority of his upper body strength to keep himself standing. He spoke with a slight stutter and slurred words, yet a smile never left his face. He slept on a nearby street corner across from the Garden Café, smiling at strangers as they passed him by.
The night I met Wilber we were worshiping in central park. X-Squad was circled up holding hands in the busiest part of town singing praises to God. People stopped, starred, and even joined in. People flocked to us. Wilber was among the crowd. Dragging himself closer and closer he finally approached my team with a radiating smile; curious to know who we were and what we were doing. Through some broken Spanish we exchanged small conversation. Wilber was 26 years old, he was abandoned by his family who lived in the capital Managua and had lived on the streets of Nicaragua for the last 5 years. All he wanted was a friend, someone to notice him, smile at him, or shake his hand. After some time we parted ways never expecting to see each other again.
The next morning Jamie and I walked to the laundry mat to get one more load of clothes in before we left the following day. We dropped off our bags and headed to Café de Arte to catch up some last minute emails, when low and behold there sat Wilber on the street corner. Jamie and I approached him with a smile curious to see if he remembered us from the night before at the park. When I said “hello Wilber!” He looked at me puzzled as if to say “how do you know my name?” This was no surprise because when I met him previously it was dark outside and I had a floppy hat on. When I said “me amo es Estefani” He became elated! He snapped his fingers and pointed to me as if to say “OH YES!” “NOW I remember!” Since we didn’t know much Spanish, we kept the conversation short, said goodbye and proceeded into the café.
I want to be honest with you. When I signed up for the Race I expected to come across the world, visit many places, speak to lots of people, and do lots of cool things. I knew we would feed people, hug and love on them, clothe them, and maybe heal them. I was ready!
I have read in Isaiah “Share your food with the hungry, and clothe the naked.” Matthew tells us “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy.”
I prayed for months leading up to the race for divine appointment. That God would open my eyes and allow me to talk with people, love on them, and share his word. I prayed for boldness, confidence and obedience as he prompted me. I was ready!
Quickly after arriving in Nicaragua and settling down God gave me my first opportunity. A homeless women claimed her place on a nearby stoop down the way from our hostel. Her clothes were saturated with urine and she wore the same clothes every day. She was there every day, always sleeping. Day after day I passed her by, still praying for boldness and confidence.
Each day in Nicaragua God would nudge me, tug on my heart strings and prompt me to talk to homeless, hug them, buy them lunch, or even a water. One time it was to wash the woman on the stoops feet.
Thoughts would consume me about them. I was drowning in conviction. And still, I would keep walking. I would justify my actions and make excuses. What if they don’t speak English? What if they don’t understand me? What if they attack me, hurt me, or steal something from me?
I would step over them, walk around them, or even take an alternate route to avoid the conviction. But, it grew heavier with each passing day.
I prayed for them in my head, and before I would go to sleep. I asked God to send them someone to love on them, care for them, and feed them. And still, I prayed for boldness and confidence that still hadn’t come.
I expressed to my team on several occasions this was eating away at me. It consumed my thoughts day after day, night after night.
Jesus tells us to have love for these people, and all I could do was love them from a distance.
I stumbled upon a scripture in Matthew 25 that started to appear everywhere. It was evident God was trying to get my attention.
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, and I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Why was I getting so convicted to do these things but never act on it?
How different would my life look if I looked at every person like I was looking at JESUS? The person who cut me off in traffic, the teller at the bank who always makes me late by continually talking, or the girl at work who annoys me every time she speaks.
Jesus tells us clearly the two greatest commandments are “Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. Therefore if we love the least of these, we are loving God himself.
In Matthew 25 his disciples were confused by exactly what he meant… “Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you? OR thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? OR when did we see you in prison and visit you?” Jesus replied “I tell you the truth, whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for me.”
We show our love for God in the ways we care for the poor and the suffering. It’s not merely SAYING we’ll minister to the sick and needy, or praying for them as we pass by. Loving people is the way we minister to them. Extending a hug, shaking their hand, buying someone coffee, or praying over them. Jesus tells us in his word, They will know you are my disciples by the way that you LOVE.
Before our month was over God gave me one last opportunity to make LOVE the evidence.
Upon walking out of the café that morning Jamie and I noticed Wilber again, sitting on the corner outside where we were, all by his lonesome. We were heading to get Gelato before we picked up our laundry. We approached Wilber again with a smile proposing a question… Wilber te gusta Helado? (Do you like ice cream) Tu quierres? (Do you want some) He was ecstatic, he practically fell over trying to stand to his feet. All he could say was HELADO! HELADO! (ice cream! ice cream!) It was quite a ways away which made for a pretty far walk due to his walker being in such poor condition. We paused and rested periodically giving him a breather, while trying to ignore the strangers passing us by making faces and comments.
We finally arrived and got our sweet friend some Vanilla ice cream. He ate the whole cup with one hand grinning from ear to ear. As I sat and ate my ice cream all I could think about was his dirty, mangled, beat up walker pushed off to the side out of the way. I thought man! That would be so awesome if we could buy him a brand new one! I laughingly vocalized my thoughts to Jamie to see what she would say. “We should!” she exclaimed But how? Surely they don’t sell those here!?
I inhaled my ice cream and asked Jamie to sit with Wilber while I “RAN” literally to the corner pharmacy. In my dress and toms I sprinted to my destination. We were in a time crunch and had a meeting to make. I ran to 2 pharmacies trying to explain what I needed and through broken Spanish I realized it would take a few days to deliver and cost about $200.00. I went back and told Jamie it was a no go and we proceeded with our goodbyes.
On our walk home we passed by one more pharmacy. I said “let’s try!” “You never know!” We just prayed it was Gods will he would provide the walker and went inside with a hopeful spirit.
God showed up in that little corner pharmacy. Through drawings, hand gestures, and a game of charades we managed to express what exactly we were looking for. The gentleman behind the counter pointed up toward the ceiling and there on a shelf was the last walker with wheels, just like Wilber’s expect brand new! We were beside ourselves! “We’ll take it!” We said without hesitation! This walker was a gift from above, and we were the delivery service.
About this time a middle aged man named David walked in, he had recently moved to Nicaragua from France and just stopped in for a cold beverage. He spoke to the owner in Spanish and to us in English! My face lit up! “You are bilingual!” I exclaimed! Can you please translate for us? You’re an angel! We had him translate all of our questions, and complete our transactions, he even helped us put it together!
David questioned us at one point, “wait, do you know the man you’re giving this to?” “Nope!” we replied joyfully. We met him yesterday. He said “and he’s homeless?” “Yupp!” We assured him. He replied laughingly “and you do realize you will never see this money again? Right?” “Yes sir!” “That is not the point. God gives to us in abundance so we can share with others!” The Love of Christ compels us! By doing this random act of kindness, we are able to show the love of God with Wilber. Not by just saying it, but by showing it. David stood bewildered. He said “do you mind if I come with you, I have to see his face when you give it to him.” “Of course you can”, we said! We paid, gathered our things and set out to find our new friend. He couldn’t have gotten too far, due to his wheels not being very reliable. I had a hunch I knew of where to find him, so I lead the way pushing his new walker. I prayed Lord please let us find him and let him be blessed by this gift. Meanwhile Jamie and David trailed along in deep conversation. She was sharing more of the gospel with him and why we felt so encouraged to do this. As we turned the next street corner my eyes beamed! There he was!
We ran up to him and presented him his new wheels. He was shocked and quite confused. David translated the walker was a gift from the Lord that he wanted Wilber to have. It was like witnessing a kid at Christmas get his first bicycle. He sat on the new leather cushion, as we adjusted the handles to his liking, and we taught him how to operate it. Placing his belongings into the basket I said “do you like it buddy?” Wilber told us through David he did not have the money to pay us back. We explained again that we loved him, and God loved him and it was a gift. Free of charge. He embraced us with open arms, smiling. “God bless you” he said as we walked away to catch our taxi.
God’s word says “let us not Love with words or tongue but in action and in truth. One of the best ways we can do this by giving to others. Whether that is money, attention, clothes, a walker, a hot lunch, our time, or even a hug. The more we Love, giving becomes a genuine natural response. As Americans we cling to money, clothes, possessions, family, friends, our gifts, and our time. We hold onto the life of abundance that God calls us to give away. “Freely receive, Freely give” he says.
The thing to remember is how we give and how we live. How will you give to others what you have been given? And how will you live? As if Jesus were the one you were walking by? You can say you would do x, y, and z all day long, but at the end of the day. Love is the evidence.
citizens way sings a great song called love is the evidence! have a listen!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyUxFTB2GdI
