Last Thursday I had an experience that I seriously doubt will ever leave my memory.
I went with two other teammates and spent a night in the barrios. We stayed with a family from the church that has three boys that asked us to come spend the night.
Addison, Angela and I were giddy like kids going to a candy store as we walked the mile to the house. Thoughts ran through my mind on what we would possibly do with the night, what food we would eat, what my sleeping arrangement would be, and the like.
We arrived and were greeted warmly and shown where to set our bags down. Minor, Elton (2 out of the 3 sons), and other neighborhood kids quickly recognized they had new toys (aka us) for the night and began quickly playing with them.
At this point I am feeling like it is just another ordinary trip to the barrios filled with playing and laughter. However, as the sun began to set and few streetlights cam on no longer did I feel the warm embrace of streets filled with children instead my security sense spiked.
With darkness also came an end to the barrio soccer series and empty stomachs. All of us (All= the three boys, the three of us and mom and dad) went inside for a nice dinner of rice, beans, and salty cheese. It was a typical meal but something was extremely different about it, I just couldn’t put my thumb on it. Shortly after dinner began card game central.
I sat on the bed playing the 40thround of a card game that I came to understand around hand 20. Papa Bear aka Javier came in a little later after dinner to serve me a nice cup of hot coffee. Where he had pulled this cup of Joe out of is still a mystery to me. I sipped the sweet sup of nectar but just like dinner something was different about drinking this cup, I just couldn’t put my thumb on it.
I sat there sipping on my sup of magical hot coffee and holding my 41sthand of cards.
A neighbor boy named Luis sits to my left and occasionally pulls on my leg hair in curiosity.
Elton sits ahead of me at the foot of the bed trying to peak at Luis’s card trying to cheat another win.
Alex, older brother of Luis, sits to my right looking deep into his cards as though they are a glass ball and are going to reveal the answer of how to win this round.
I sit there not looking at my cards and not thinking about my first move. I am in awe of what is going on around me. I have switched my perspective on the situation and am now looking at it through the eyes of Luis, Elton and Alex. I am looking at this 6’3’’ white guy with a face that hasn’t been shaving in a week. His legs are taking up the majority of the bed. His brown hair long enough to put into a pony tail flows out of the back of his blue and white baseball cap. I see a guy that gave up safety, the warmth of his bed, and a luxurious house to spend a night here.
I am swept away in a tidal wave of revelation.
I have been chosen to be here. There were hundreds of other applicants for this trip. There have been tons of other people they could have invited to spend the night. There were 19 other missionaries all wanting and able to spend a night in the barrios.
But I was chosen.
I was hand selected by the great Elohim. He chose me to be His face to these kids and family.
Why?
Who am I that you are mindful of me?
I am nothing more then some college punk that was studying nursing.
Why do I get the privilege of showing Your love to them?
I can’t place my thumb on why He chose me. I do know this though; He could have chosen from millions of other people but HE CHOSE ME.
It is an honor that I am not worthy of in even the slightest.
He chose you too.
Every person you see and talk with.
Every place you go and pass by.
Every conversation and thought.
Maybe you should take a minute after you’re done reading this to pause and think. Think about at where you are. Your surroundings. The people you have seen today or will see. All the conversations that you have and will have.
Then think God chose YOU.
