“You can do it Alejandro! Jump! Jump!”
“No puedo Kelli! No puedo!” (I can’t Kelli! I can’t!)
“I will catch you Alejandro!! Jump!”
“Estoy asustado Kelli! No puedo!” (I am scared Kelli! I can’t!)
“I promise if you jump I will catch you Alejandro!”
“Prometes Kelli?” (Do you promise Kelli?)
“Si Alejandro!! Juuuuuump!!”
I wish you could all meet Alejandro! I wish you could see the joy of the Lord that he carries. I wish you could see his smile that lights up the room. I wish you could meet him in person and receive one of his morning hugs. I wish you could hear him singing from his spirit. I wish you could all experience life through his eyes.
Meet Alejandro. He is 5 years old and has cerebral palsy. He keeps up with all the other kids, running around, swinging, laughing, crying, and singing. I don’t know if he realizes God made him special, but I’m here to tell you that the Lord made him extra special.
We went to a river in the jungle with all of the children, from the children’s home we stayed at in Honduras, and you could feel the excitement and happiness with kids jumping off cliffs and swimming from rock to rock.
Pure child-like joy.
I looked over to Alejandro and saw him sitting on a rock with only his feet in the water. He had a life jacket on and I could see the disappoint in his eyes of him not being able to swim like the other kids. He looked defeated.
I swam over to him and kept trying to get him to jump into the water. He was scared. He didn’t know if he could trust me. He just wasn’t sure about the water and he wasn’t sure about me.
I stood him up on a rock and tried to earn his trust. I showed him if I held on to him he wouldn’t sink. I showed him that his life jacket would keep him floating. I showed him that he could trust me and little by little things started to change.
We started off with a flat out no. No I’m not going to jump to you.
We continued on to if you hold my hands I’ll jump into the water.
We kept going to I will jump 2 inches to you.
Until it happened. He jumped. All in. No holding back.
And I caught him.
I clapped and shouted like a proud Momma. I was more excited than he was. You couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face.
He continued jumping for around 2 hours. Time after time I caught him. Time after time he trusted me. Time after time he smiled so big as he was jumping that he caught a mouth full of water. He didn’t care. It was pure joy.
I never thought a 5 year old could teach me so much about my relationship with Jesus and about my faith, but Alejandro did.
I find myself standing on that rock in that river saying no. I find myself afraid to make that leap. I find myself doubting my abilities. I find myself questioning God and if I can trust him. Just as Alejandro did to me.
As I’m standing on that rock, on that foundation that He says is unwavering and solid, I know that I am safe. I know that if I stay on that rock I don’t have to worry.
As I am standing on that rock, I know I have the choice to say yes or no to making that leap. I know that if I stay on the rock I will be fine, but maybe I can experience more of Him if I jump.
As I am standing on that rock, I know that God has his arms outstretched to catch me when I decide to take that leap of faith. I know that if I stay on the rock He won’t be mad, but maybe there is something better waiting in his arms.
As I’m standing on that rock I know everything in me wants to jump, but I am afraid He won’t catch me. I know if I stay on the rock I don’t have to worry about being caught, but maybe if I show full trust there is a surprise waiting for me.
As I’m standing on the rock and I start to jump I am terrified, but I am moving forward and I can’t turn back because of the momentum. I know that if I stayed on that rock I wouldn’t be where He wants me to be and as I fall into His arms….
He catches me.
God claps and cheers like the happy Dad that He is and He can’t wipe the smile off of His face.
As He puts me back on the rock to jump again, I find myself trusting Him more and more to make that jump. I trust Him to catch me. I trust Him to never let me sink.
Then it happens. Every time I jump, I smile so big I can’t wipe the smile off of my face.
Pure joy. Pure Faith. Pure Love.
Thank you Alejandro, a 5 year old with cerebral palsy, for teaching me how to trust God and how to put my faith into action. You just never know who the Lord is going to use to teach you a lesson. I dare you to take that leap of faith, you might just be filled with pure joy as you’re being caught by your Father on the other side!
By the way, one week later we went to a pool and Alejandro was jumping very FAR to me without a life jacket! All it took was that first all in jump, that first leap of faith, and now everything has changed!
Thank You Jesus.
I am now in Guatemala and heading off to an organization called Blue Water Surrender on Lake Izabal! We will be working with another Children’s Home and we are so excited to see what the Lord has in store! Thank you for all of your prayers! They are working!
