Yesterday God gave me a snapshot of reality. Sitting on the ground at the Ofelia bus terminal in the city of Quito, Ecuador God revealed to me His way of missions. Frustrated at the language barrier between English and Spanish I set aside my perspective on missions and called out to God, “God show me how you have called me to be a missionary.” Answering to my pleads for guidance God humbled me at the side of a homeless man.
Waiting in line for the bus I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to a particular homeless man asleep on the ground. As I walked over and sat next to him he remained asleep as I prayed for him. While praying God suddenly stopped me and showed me the real reason he placed me there in that moment. No longer was I Josh sitting on the ground of this bus terminal; I was now this homeless man. Taking on this mans life, God humbled me. The screeching of the brakes followed by the “sneezing of the bus” signaled it was time to leave. Standing up, the tears continued to fall off my scraggly excuse of a beard. Little did I know God had much more for me to learn through the encounter with this man.
Now in line, I still see myself in this man lying on the ground not far away. He slowly rises to his feet as an officer come over yelling from a distance. The officer continues to yell louder and quickens his pace towards the man. Not slowing the officer shoves the man over as he’s making his way over to the line. The tears turn into steady flows down my face as I remain statute in the internal pain I feel for this man. Walking in rejection, an outcast in society, this man makes his way on the bus just in front of me.
The smell of dirt, urine, and newly mopped chemicals fumigated from the wet bus floor as this man layed down. While walking on the bus once again that still small voice of the Holy Spirit called. Without words, I lay listening to this mans life story for the 45 minute bus ride. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t understand him because God spoke greater through my actions than I ever could have with my own words. Love may be a word, but it’s defined as an action.
35. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36. I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” 37. Then the righteous will answer him saying “Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsy and give you drink, 38. And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you, 39. And when did we see you sick, or in prison and visit you.” 40. And the King will answer them “Truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did to me.”
