Two of our teens, brothers, are so much like family to us. They were raised by a single mom who has had a hard life but does the best she can. Anyways, a month ago their grandmother passed away, and it is tradition here to have a big meal with family and friends a month after someone's passing in memory of them. Today was that day, and we were invited to lunch at their home for the first time.
She recently moved from a 2 room shack, to a lot with three rooms on it, one kitchen, two bedrooms. (There is no bathroom...there's a hole in the ground one can use.) There is no grass, but a lot of piled up rubble and dirt. And, as luck would have it, it began to rain when we went over there. (Our kids were covered in mud by the time we got home.) We were told to sit in one of the bedrooms and were introduced to relatives of the grandmother. We were left to visit with them for over an hour, just the four of us for most of it. This older couple was very friendly and talkative and we enjoyed having their company while our kids played with some other kids and their pets.
We were given a huge plate of picante de pollo (much like the one pictured above), and not too long into our conversation, the older man quoted Joshua 1:9. It quickly caught our attention and we asked if they were christians. He said they were, and we were immediately filled with joy to meet other believers. From then on, we talked of nothing but Christ and his word. He told us how he went from being an alcoholic 8 years ago, to meeting Christ and having his life turned around. He shared how he teaches the kids at his church, and how as a taxi driver he shares the gospel with every single person that gets in his car. He told us how he learned to study the Bible, and how he memorizes a verse every day while going around town driving his taxi.
He gave us a ride home in his taxi, since the rain had started up again. When we got to our home, we searched our shelves for some books to send with him, as it was very apparent he loves to study and know as much as possible about God and His word. We sent him with several, as well as a book he can use for children's ministry. He was so thrilled!
Leonard Ravenhill once said, "Entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy. The more joy you have in the Lord the less entertainment you need." This man was a walking testimony of that quote. He doesn't need Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc....the things that so often are temporary enjoyment for believers and non-believers alike. (I'm guilty myself of getting too hooked on social media.) He finds so much greater joy in the study of God's word. Let's be known more for our humble, joyful love for Christ than anything thing else. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." If that doesn't describe us as believers, we need to check where our joy is coming from.
1 Peter 1:8-9 says, "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." What a wonderful outcome, praying we're filled with that inexpressible joy much like the brother we met today.
