Unlikely People

God uses the most unlikely people.  He loves doing that because when He does, it’s obvious that it’s Him.  Sometimes we are those unlikely people that God uses, other times God uses unlikely people in our lives.  When He talks about His strength being made perfect in our weaknesses that’s what He means.  In the past few weeks here in Nicaragua, God has done that in my life.  During our time here in Nicaragua, I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing men doing construction in Iglesia Verbo’s hurricane relief efforts.  All at very different points in their journey with the Lord.  I have been humbled by the things that God has done in their lives and blessed by the friendship they offered me.  Knowing their stories and seeing them walk up to the altar in front of the congregation to begin or re-begin their walk with Jesus…whew…humbling.  And God used them, a bunch of unlikely people, in my life to bring a lot of freedom and healing. And it reminds me of how much each of us is so much more than meets the eye.  How much each of us has these incredible stories that God has written.  How there are these fingerprints of a living God all over us, and how we need to start sharing those things to build each other’s faith, to build our own faith.  I’m reminded of this, seriously, every time that one of my awesome squadmates gets up somewhere to share their story.  And we all sit there and listen and kind of cock our heads to one side and say, “who are you?”  and kind of look at them like they are some kind of new creature as they walk off the stage and go to take their seat.  You would be surprised at the sorts of things that get confessed and talked about while mixing concrete together or painting a roof together or sawing wood together.  For me, in the past few weeks, I’ve been able to hear so many stories, stories of redemption, hope, restoration, healing.