Her face you would find familiar. Round, tanned by the sun, thick and bushy eyebrows her face finished with dark chocolate eyes. Her small stature yet round dimensions exudes kindness, care and neglect. As we speak through a wrought iron gate, she learns that i'm a foreigner and reluctantly lets us into a small space just passed the front door. I wonder why the hesitation? She kindly pushes tables across the cement floor and hurries about to find flimsy plastic chairs for us to rest. Visibly, we've been blistered by the sun, and beaten up by the humidity. As we further acquaint ourselves with one another I waste little time in getting to the incredible story. I wanted to get to the point where she learns she can have a relationship with Christ right now. So I proceed to explain the story of Christ through a concise visual presentation (E3 cube). She kindly obliged and tenderly listened to us as the gospel discussion unfolds before us. As instructed, this is not a presentation, I would like to ask questions to have a small glimpse into her thoughts. What is sin? Is God a sinner? Why is Jesus special? We asked did she understand the illustration and would she like a relationship with Christ? She seemed to gather her thoughts. She explained that she believed in Jesus Christ and had walked with Him for some time now.
I was encouraged and yet bewildered. Why did she let us go on. Wanting to use our time well, I asked, how could we help her, encourage her, pray for her? As her eyes gradually roamed the floor she begin to explain. She raised her kids in the truth of the gospel but they have unfortunately walked away. She said this greatly saddened her. She asked if we could pray for her kids. I at that moment no longer saw foreign, or Colombian. The poverty stricken area in which her home was placed along with the myriad of details that made her complex situation a reality didn't really matter. At that moment I saw a mother grieving the fact her kids were raised in truth but had departed it. I simply and beautifully saw a mother. Like any phenomenal mother, her concern was not for herself, but for her kids. We laid hands and prayed over her. As I continued praying to the Lord, now aloud, I was amazed once again.
The mother begin interceding for her kids as well. She wanted to participate in her kids return to the Lord. She wanted to participate in the promise that what she has invested as she mothered her kids would not return void. After the prayer concluded, she thanked me. As I began to help her collect the chairs she told me, God commands us to go to different nations to share his good news. She thanked me for what I was doing in her neighborhood. Although she knew the gospel well before I presented it, I believe she wanted to invite me in, and encourage me along. How gracious of her to let me in. How selfless of her to hear me out. I will more then likely not see this woman again this side of Heaven. However, her sweet, self-less actions have been impressed upon my heart.
- Vincent Mack
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