I met Marcos the first week we arrived in Guatemala. He is the stocky man who works at our bus stop. The first time I saw Marcos I was immediately drawn to him, so each day I would try and make conversation and just be goofy with him. Now we have such a fun friendship, and every day we greet each other with our personal handshake…it is basically the coolest handshake out there. Because of my relationship with Marcos, I have learned the importance in being intentional with people I pass by on a daily basis. Through our quick encounters, I have had the opportunity to really get to know Marcos for who he is. I have also learned about Marcos’s sickness. He has a problem with his heart and his lungs, which hinders his ability to breathe well and often causes him to cough up blood. A few days ago I was able sit down on the curb and talk more intently about his needs. Marcos told me that he has medication(praise the Lord for that), but his poor vision impairs him from reading the instructions on the medicine bottle. He is desperate for glasses but the thought of buying a pair has never crossed his mind because he only makes 30Q per day(on a good day) which is equivalent to $3.90 USD. I asked him where an optical shop was, so he told me. Then we went.
The expression on Marcos’s face when he put on that pair of glasses was heart wrenching. He expressed such uncontainable joy the moment he could see clearly for the first time. Oh that smile in that instant… Ahhh it was such a beautiful moment!!
We then prayed with Marcos. Thanking the Lord for who He is and thanking Him for this opportunity and this relationship. Praying that the Lord would open Marcos’s eyes to see Jesus as clearly as he saw those words on the page for the first time. Praying that Marcos could see the love God has for Him, and the price Jesus paid for him. Therefore more glory could be given to God and His deserving name.
“Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” Mark 8:25
After we prayed, Marcos thanked us over and over again. He told us that out of all the years he has been working at that bus stop, no one has ever respected him or even really seen him. He thanked us for showing him respect in this unfamiliar way. We told him to thank God and not us. He then thanked God for sending me to truly see him. We reminded him again that this gift was not from us, but from the Lord. Itwas not our eyes which saw his worth and value and beauty, but it was God’s eyes who did and God just wanted to use us to display that to him. So then together, in the middle of the busy street, we lifted up praises to our King. Our Provider, Our Healer, Our Lover, Our Everything. What a glorious moment.
Since day one, the Lord planted a desire in my heart to know Marcos. Ever since then, he has given me the strength to respond to those desires by pursuing Marcos. And the Lord has given me the passion and love to fully live out this friendship whole-heartedly. It has all been by Him, and because of Him. Nothing more nothing less. It is all Him. That’s all.
“If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 4:11
Oh and by the way..today I went back to the bus stop to visit Marcos. As soon as I saw him He smiled that big ole smile, we did our handshake, and then he clasped his hands together and looked up to the sky. He was giving Glory to God.
