This blog was inspired by my squad leader, Lynda. At the beginning of the month, as we were transitioning into Nicaragua and into Month Ten of the World Race, Lynda spoke some very true words of conviction and encouragement. For me at least, they were incredibly powerful and meaningful, and I’m probably not the only one who thought so. She told a beautiful story of how God used her on our last travel day, and then reminded us to take advantage of those precious moments on Race. Those moments that are beautiful, God-ordained, and miraculous. Here’s one of mine from last month in Honduras…
It may have been my second day in Honduras, or maybe the third, I can’t remember exactly. All I know for sure is that it felt like we’d just gotten to this new country, this new continent, and we were already diving in headfirst.
When we were asked that night who would be willing to go for a ministry opportunity early the next morning, I had this small feeling that I should. I’m glad our team took some time to pray about it first before deciding though. After asking the Lord about it, the Holy Spirit confirmed it- He was telling me to take this opportunity. I knew it couldn’t be my own desire because this wasn’t a situation most people would naturally volunteer for. But I felt that God wanted to use me that day so I said I’d go.
We’d been told this experience could be a potentially emotionally-heavy undertaking, so that night I prayed. Prayed that the Lord would give us all strength and peace. We didn’t know much about the situation except a few facts:
The girl we were taking to the doctor needed to undergo an exam.
The exam would reveal evidence the court would use the following day in the prosecution of the rapist.
The girl was thirteen years old.
“Lord, how did I get into this? How are you planning to use me today? I feel like I don’t know what this young girl, your precious daughter, needs. And even if I did, I’m not sure I have the strength to do it.”
“Love her like I would. Today’s a tough day, and she doesn’t have her mom to take her to the doctor, to hold her hand and tell her it’s going to be ok. But she has you.”
That morning I literally had no idea what to expect. Clueless. I’m sure our sweet new friend didn’t know either. I know our Spanish wasn’t top notch, but even so we hardly heard a word from her But who could blame her, what a day it was going to be. So we just held her hands and prayed silently as we drove into town.
We got to town early, around 8:30am. However, that didn’t mean the doctor was in. We were told he was to be expected around 11:30am, which isn’t exactly what we expected. But on a day like is, you learn to improvise.
A stroll around the little downtown area, and we had killed about 20 minutes.
“Hmm, ok Lord, now what?”
“Think. If you were back home and had a doctor’s appointment today, what would you want?”
Almost three hours later, we headed back to the clinic, having seen most of the small town, and full of pastry and fruit juice from a tiny bakery down the road. It wasn’t extravagant, but if we could give our new friend some kind of treat and distraction from what was to come, it was worth it.
Time in other countries always looks different, which we were reminded of that day. And oh, I wished I could go find and bring the doctor in myself! But as much as I wanted this day over, for this young girl’s sake, I’ll never really know how much she was trembling inside. So we waited, and let the Holy Spirit guide us in comforting our new friend as best as we could.
It felt more like ten hours, not four and a half, but finally the doctor arrived.
A little more waiting, some paperwork, and he was ready. He calls our sweet friend into the exam room, and like an incredibly brave young woman, she walked straight in on her own. I was so proud of her. She may have been afraid, but she showed such courage. Then, not a minute later, the doctor looks toward me and in Spanish says, “Aren’t you coming in?”
And in that moment, the Lord reminded me that this brave, yet young and alone little girl didn’t have her mom today. In another time in her life, maybe she did, but then again maybe not. I still don’t know her whole story. But even so, though she may have had the courage to step into that exam room, she was probably scared out of her mind in that moment. And right now my choice to go in, or to wait patiently in the seated area out front, could make all the difference.
***
Something I’ve learned over the past few months is that when the Lord tells you to do something, He always provides a way. Whether it’s strength you need, an extra dose of patience, or a miracle, He’ll supply it. When you’re directly in His will and saying yes to Him, He will always give you exactly what you need.
That day, I prayed a lot. And He delivered. He strengthened me, gave me the right words to say (in English and in Spanish), walked us through a surprisingly brief appointment, and brought a blanket of peace over everything.
I will never forget that day, or the beautiful young girl with the tragic past, who is dearly loved by the Father. I pray that someday she will know it, and that Jesus will turn the rest of her ashes into beauty, as He promises. I pray that she will see Him as the man who came, not to take anything from her, but to give her life and love abundantly, without a cost.
The day after the doctor’s visit, our new friend bravely stepped out into the world again for her court date. That night, she didn’t return to us. I wish I could say I know exactly what happened to her and that there’s more to tell of her story, but I don’t have those answers. Sadly, I don’t know if I’ll ever see our young friend again, but I do know that Jesus knows, and that’s He’s still watching over her. And truthfully even if His plan was to have me in her life for just that day, it will always be worth it.
