“Open your eyes! SURPRISE!!!”
I look around and I see woodchips strewn all over the ground, corn husks decorated the patio in neat rows, mason chars hung from the rafters full of candles lit to
create a warm, southern ambiance of the night. I look over at Ann Little (my
beautiful-on-the-inside-and-out, creative and wise leader) who happened to be
dressed for the occasion in plaid, denim, and leather boots; complete with a cowboy
hat and hair done up in pig tails. She was smiling ear-to-ear holding her hands
out to show me my birthday present, a real life country Texas hoedown in
Guatemala.
“Cheep cheep!” whats that? I look down and there were 3 live baby chicks
running around in the piles of woodchips.
LIVE ANIMALS FOR MY BIRTHDAY??? I was literally so overwhelmed that all
I could do was sit down in the coushiony pile of woodchips and laugh into my
hands. They got me baby chicks! They really do love me.
The night was a blur, I was so overwhelmed by the
extravagant hoedown that they had worked so hard to put together. After the
bowls of olives, peanuts, sunflower seeds, steak marinated and cooked rare
(just the way I like it) and smothered in blue cheese sauce, mushrooms, baked
potatoes, and corn on the cob. After that we devoured my very first homemade
(by Jonathan my ever so loving-and-generous leader) 9 layers of chocolate and
cookie ice-cream cake for dessert.
Afterwards, we strapped on our dancing boots and country western danced
the night away.
The next morning I woke up to a “birthday hangover”. I was trying to discern
what was real and what wasnt I knew there was cake involved, steak.. yes I
slightly remember that. And then it hit me there are live baby chicks
downstairs!
During our morning meeting, I held one of the baby chicks
and just let it sleep on my stomach. I was so in love as it cooed and snuggled
into me.
“Cheep cheep…SQUAWK!!!”
Sweet baby chick POOPED all over me!
Ok. Time to get rid of them.
There is one woman that I see every single day here in Guatemala. I call her
Abuelita. She is so near and dear to my heart, a prize gem and I am so thankful
that I was blessed enough to cross paths with her.
“Que Chula!” she always says when I come in close to get a kiss and a hug from
her thin little frame. Abuelita is a street vendor who sells gum, assorted
candies, and nuts to passengers about to get onto the chicken busses to travel
to surrounding cities. What I love about her is that she always brings two
small stools with her to work; one for her to sit on and another lays open next
to her, welcoming guests to have a seat and enjoy a conversation or two.
I love taking her up on the invite to sit and chat. She tells me about her
large family, how she still takes care of them. She talks about the misfortunes
that life has brought her, as well as the triumphs that have come her way.
She travels an hour to work, just to sit on the street corner to sell gum to
pay for rent and food, then packs all her treats back up and travels an hour
back.
All of this she does with a smile. I love being her “chula”.
(a picture of me and sweet Abuelita)
Whenever it was time to decide what to do with the sweet
baby chicks, we immediately thought of Abuelita and how much she might like
them. Javier (my Guatemalan
brother) and I packed up the chicks in an egg carton and headed down to the
street corner to meet Abuelita.
“Que Chula!” she said whenever we walked up. Two kisses. One for me, and one
for Javier.
“Abuelita, we want to give you chickens. Do you want them?”
Her face lit up like it was Christmas in August.
“Yes, Yes!” she nodded. Her face radiated joy and she smiled
so big that I saw every last tooth. “Gracias, Chula!” More kisses.
I remember her telling me about where she lived. She shared a small apartment
with 7 other women, and she only had a corner of a room to herself to sleep.
The thought popped up into my head, Where is she going to put the chickens?
She doesnt have a yard to let them roam free. What is she going to do with
them?
So I asked. Abuelita, “What are you going to do with these chicks?”
Then she smiled with wide toothy grin and held out her hands. “When they are THIS big, Im going to eat them with tortillas!”
My birthday chicks were going to be her dinner soon. The
thought almost made me cringe because I had named them and everything. Then I
thought about that sweet baby chick that pooped all over me. I thought about
sweet Abuelita and her thin, frail frame. Then I felt peace that settled so
thickly over my Spirit. For my birthday I was blessed with baby chicks and in
turn, I can turn around and provide food and bless sweet Abuelita.
The Lord spoke to me yesterday and told me that I was going not only going to
receive gifts, but He wanted me to also give for my birthday. Through the heart
posture and the act of giving, He was going to bless and give me even more,
because He trusts me with His gifts and His blessings. We are never meant to
hold onto what He gives us, but instead He wants us to turn around and share
with others.
I now have a new birthday tradition. I want to give gifts
instead of receive them.
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this
way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he
himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts
20:35
*Here is a video of my Texas Hoedown Birthday Surprise! Complete with 3 baby chicks.
