My heart & HONDURAS (Part 3-FINAL)

Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.  -George Eliot

 

It wouldn’t be just to leave our discussions of Honduras without speaking of the people who forever changed us.

 

Because there are so many of them in no particular order.

Because there is no first or last in AMAZING..

William’s joy.

 

Sonya, the tiny angel we saw transform from lifeless to so much better in the few short days we were there.  She will forever be a reminder of God’s unconditional love in the way he loves and welcomes each of us into kingdom as we come to know Him as Lord.

 

Farmer Ben’s desire to grow the farm as well as his faithful stewardship of the land and livestock.

 

Stephanie’s need for sisterhood and companionship.

 

Lester’s smile.

 

Carmen’s preciousness.

 

Eric’s dream of becoming a doctor.

 

JP & Sheree’s faithfulness and inspiring obedience.

 

Stewart’s fatherly influence in the lives of so many who are fatherless.

 

Joseph’s pancakes

 

 

Novelia’s devotion to the children she loves as her own.

 

Brooke’s passion and vision for the school.

 

Alex’s laughter.

 

Juan’s sassiness.

 

Helen’s kindness.

 

Lupe’s prayer.  I must pause and invite you into this moment if I may?  We were in the back, left bedroom of the tiny block house.  It was late afternoon/early evening. The near equator heat had settled into any crevice it could find.  We were doing our best to share our overwhelming gratitude for the ladies-more-than gracious hospitality.  For allowing us to be a part of such goodness when Lupe shared via one of the teens that she would like to pray for us.  You need to know we were way passed snot-slinging messes way before now.  Because goodbyes are hard and that moment in the    H-O-T-TER-than-hot little room was just so tender and sweet.

And then.. Lupe’s prayer.

Surely we’ve all cried hard at some time or another but I need you to know when Lupe spoke-the portals of heaven shook at her words and my heart-felt as though it burst wide open!!  I was absolutely certain if I were to let out even the tiniest of weep there would-be-no recover.  I began to hold my breath and bare down.  Suppressing my emotion with all-of-my-might as  I listened to her heart cries, “Gracious, Jesus…gracious Jesus..Gracious Jesus…”  with lots of words in between that few of us could translate but yet all of us understood.

Gratitude is universal.  Love is universal.

And when Lupe and I are in glory together one day I’m going to understand full well the weight of that prayer.  The prayer that shook the very core of every soul present.

 

I could write for days on the goodness of these people who forever changed us.

 

The love, joy, peace, gentleness and kindness that oozed from their beings. These people make me want to be better, to love more deeply and forgive faster and to think, I was almost too afraid to go.

 

I’m ever-so-eternally thankful for each one of you who prayed for me to be brave enough to say yes to Honduras.

 

TO BE WILLING TO TAKE A RISK.

 

because I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.

 

Which brings to mind this poem I have carried around with me for over two decades now….

 

RISK

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental

To reach out for another is to risk involvement

To place your feelings, ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss

To love is to risk not be loved in return

To live is to risk dying

To hope is to risk despair

To try is to risk failure

But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

Persons who risk nothing do nothing, have nothing, and are nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live.

Chained by their attitudes, they are slaves, for they have forfeited their freedom.

Only a person who risks is free – Anonymous

 

So friends, here’s to RISK! To being and doing ALL that God has for you !  Because I don’t want you to miss it!

much, much love,