I have the opportunity to meet some really interesting people as part of my job. For example, a few years back I was able to chat with the man who created the Barrel of Monkeys, and hear his story first hand. This past month I was privileged to guide a very special group of people down the river…
The youth workers in my boat stood out a bit from their peers. It’s hard not to when your entire body is tattooed from head to toe. After our standard safety talk we pushed out onto the water. I really wanted this trip to be a blessing for the people in my boat. They spend every ounce of their strength trying to reach the youth around us. I felt compelled to make this trip a time when we could pour back into each one of them. As part of that process, I thought it would be cool to have each person in the boat share a little about their ministry and then give the boat the opportunity to pray for them.
Esteban shared first. It was impossible for him to share his ministry without sharing some of his testimony. This is his story.
Esteban grew up on the streets. He hung around with a rough crowd. His friends and his siblings were all involved in gang activity, and he was no different. He blamed his parents for everything. All of his problems, in his mind, stemmed from their abysmal role as caregivers. His life was pretty much what you would expect. He admits to being a raging alcoholic, and that habit finally put his body in a predicament that would change his life forever…
Esteban was admitted to the hospital for damage caused by his alcoholism. He was in pretty bad shape. One day, he knew that it was going to be his last. He died. He remembers the alarms in his room going off as his body began to shut down. He couldn’t breath, and he knew that this was it. He was dying, and there was nothing that could be done about it. Suddenly, after he had past away, he remembers the feeling of all consuming love and acceptance surrounding him. As he tells the story, you can see the peace draw line across his face and body. He was engulfed by tangible peace beyond description. Then he heard the voice of God telling him that he had to forgive his parents. “No!” he responded. Even in his death he couldn’t let go of the hate. But slowly, with peace surrounding him, he gave it up completely. Then God surprised him again. He said “I’m going to heal you”…
Three days later Esteban awoke from a coma that he was not supposed to survive. The doctors assured his wife that he would have permanent brain damage, and he would NOT last more than a couple of months with his condition. Six months later, Esteban was still alive with the full faculty of his mind. A liver donor was found and Esteban received a second chance at his life.
Esteban was changed forever. His marriage, that was on the rocks (to put it kindly), was restored along with health. Now he spends all of his strength working with at risk youth. He goes into detention centers and offers kids a second chance. The Lord follows him and blesses him in his ministry.
The next man to share his story started quietly, in full humility. He was 16 years old when he was tried and found guilty of taking someone’s life. He was tried as an adult, and he spent 15 years carrying out his sentence in prison. This man has only spent the last 5 years back in society, but now he works alongside Esteban in his ministry.
The entire rafting trip is comprised of youth workers, but my boat doesn’t seem to fit the modest mold of the rest. They stand in humility. They have committed atrocities that others in the group would never imagine. They stand in humility among their peers. But don’t be mistaken, they do not stand in humility in the sight of their company. They stand in humility because they stand before the Judge, and the Judge of all creation proclaims “Not Guilty!”
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” -John 8:36
