His name is Jose Antonio, he is six years old, and he has a broken heart. Literally, there is something wrong with one of the valves in his little heart, and it’s slowly killing him. This problem with his heart has also affected his brain, so he does not speak, or walk, and struggles with his basic motor skills.
Jose lives in conditions that most us can't imagine. His small, three room house is constructed out of scraps of tin and wood, and leaks horribly when it rains. The small house has running water, but they do not have a bath or shower. They have one toilet that empties straight into the river, which can be seen and smelt, just out the back window. The house is in a community of squatters that live close to the river in Aurora. For those of you who may not know, living near the river here is not a good thing. The local rivers here are full of garbage and raw sewage, so let’s just say “water-front property” here in Alajuelita has a slightly different meaning.
Today, Chris, Nick, and I walked down the narrow path winding through the shanties. We were on a mission to deliver some food and prayer to Jose and his family. I've been visiting Jose about every week or so for several months. We slowly made our way back to his house, and found Jose just getting dressed. He looked as though he was having one of his better days. He was a little more coherent and playing with a toy. This was very encouraging to see, because my last few times He has been sick in bed. We spoke with his mother, a sweet young woman, who has a deep sadness in her eyes. She smiles often, but it’s a thin smile that is full of sorrow and worry. It’s easy to see that Jose isn't the only person in the family with a broken heart. We played with Jose, delivered the much needed food, and prayed with the family. We prayed that God would continue to provide for the family, we prayed for healing for Jose, and we prayed for the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a very sad situation, and we all left a little heart-broken. However, to be honest I love these experiences, because they feel so right. I'm not boasting or trying to sound like some great saint, but today we were given an opportunity to live out our faith in a tangible way. We seized it...and it felt right. Praying for the sick, feeding the poor, loving the least of these. It feels right deep down inside my soul; and somehow for me that confirms and strengthens my faith. It validates all those crazy things Jesus said that go against everything the world teaches. Think about it, if we were all soulless products of evolution, these things would not feel right. We would find incredible joy and satisfaction in living selfishly for ourselves. However, I've learned the hard way, on several different occasions, living for myself never feels right. It often brings temporary satisfaction, but it’s not a lasting joy. For Christians, true joy comes when we give our lives to others. When we truly love others as ourselves. Today we did just that, and it felt really good.
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34
Jose lives in conditions that most us can't imagine. His small, three room house is constructed out of scraps of tin and wood, and leaks horribly when it rains. The small house has running water, but they do not have a bath or shower. They have one toilet that empties straight into the river, which can be seen and smelt, just out the back window. The house is in a community of squatters that live close to the river in Aurora. For those of you who may not know, living near the river here is not a good thing. The local rivers here are full of garbage and raw sewage, so let’s just say “water-front property” here in Alajuelita has a slightly different meaning.
Today, Chris, Nick, and I walked down the narrow path winding through the shanties. We were on a mission to deliver some food and prayer to Jose and his family. I've been visiting Jose about every week or so for several months. We slowly made our way back to his house, and found Jose just getting dressed. He looked as though he was having one of his better days. He was a little more coherent and playing with a toy. This was very encouraging to see, because my last few times He has been sick in bed. We spoke with his mother, a sweet young woman, who has a deep sadness in her eyes. She smiles often, but it’s a thin smile that is full of sorrow and worry. It’s easy to see that Jose isn't the only person in the family with a broken heart. We played with Jose, delivered the much needed food, and prayed with the family. We prayed that God would continue to provide for the family, we prayed for healing for Jose, and we prayed for the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a very sad situation, and we all left a little heart-broken. However, to be honest I love these experiences, because they feel so right. I'm not boasting or trying to sound like some great saint, but today we were given an opportunity to live out our faith in a tangible way. We seized it...and it felt right. Praying for the sick, feeding the poor, loving the least of these. It feels right deep down inside my soul; and somehow for me that confirms and strengthens my faith. It validates all those crazy things Jesus said that go against everything the world teaches. Think about it, if we were all soulless products of evolution, these things would not feel right. We would find incredible joy and satisfaction in living selfishly for ourselves. However, I've learned the hard way, on several different occasions, living for myself never feels right. It often brings temporary satisfaction, but it’s not a lasting joy. For Christians, true joy comes when we give our lives to others. When we truly love others as ourselves. Today we did just that, and it felt really good.
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34
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