“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, Ephesians 5:1-2a
This has become a normal sight, a very sad reality. Everyday that goes by, the harder it gets for families. The closer they are to running out of food. Everyday that goes by moms and dads have to accept the fact that they can’t feed their kids. They have to bear the weight that their kids will be going to bed with empty stomachs. They have to accept that this may go on and on for days possibly months. They scrounge up everything and anything that they can. They even go as far as pointing out white or red flags as a desperate cry for help. For the country of Guatemala and many others, it’s either many die from starvation or many die from COVID-19 and that has become a reality that we have accepted.
The Bible says that we’ll go through suffering and trials; that there will be ups and downs.
In Romans 8:36 it says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” This is a time where we, as Christ’s body, need to join hands and help those in need in whatever way we feel God wants us to. We need to show those around that we will not let this separate us from God or his ultimate plan. He knows when this will end and desperately wants us to draw closer to him during these times. He does not want us to be more drawn to the political and controversial aspect then to him.
With all the controversy going around, I have personally seen people that are part of the body of Christ get very distracted with their own opinions and wants. The devil is using these things to distract us from where our attention needs to be. The time we spend complaining about the decisions that the government is making and how we wish things would open and go back to “normal”, isn’t going to help those starving on the side of the road. It’s not gonna help those parents who have no food for their children. It’s not gonna help those who don’t have work or any support during this time.
So sit back and think, “ Is my attention and time being spent helping the kingdom of God.” ”Am I using this time at home to reach out to those who I know need encouragement.” “Am I reaching out to those I’ve wanted to for so long, but life kept getting in the way.” If you answer no to any of those questions, then you need to correct where your focus is.
I can’t say that I haven’t struggled with this also. It wasn’t in the way of hating government choices and decisions, but I have let myself get distracted by the thought of things not going as I had planned. And for me, it took stepping back and knowing that God has a purpose and plan for all that is happening.
I haven’t lost anyone for the virus, but I live in a home where it would cause death to those who are close to my heart and many others. We have been taking extreme precautionary measures to ensure, as well as we can, that it doesn't get into the home. Ultimately, it's all in God's hands. Please keep us in your prayers and all those we work with and are passing food out to.
On a more positive note here are all the kids that I work, and live with on a regular basis. These kids have taught me how to love when it's hard to love. They have taught me even more about how to be patient. They have shown me how to find joy in the little things even when it feels like I can't take another step.
Checha and David:
Checha is the oldest of the kids in the home. He is a very sweet loving boy
David is partially blind and you can easily get an amazing smile out of him.
Brayan and Alejandra:
Brian is a sweet helpful young man. He loves his siblings and those around him with his whole heart. He loves helping whenever he can.
Ale is a funny and enjoyable young lady to be with. Even though she's nonverbal she can communicate through an app she has on her iPad if she wants to.
Walter:
Walter finds joy in anything loud and rowdy. He is a very joyful boy.
Rafael:
Rafael is a boy full of character. He can do and understands way more than he lets on.
Humberto:
Berto is a very caring boy. He can truly feel the emotions of those around him. He looks out for his siblings and when anything is wrong he will either start crying or yelling out to get your attention.
Esther:
Esther is a beautiful sassy little girl. She knows how to make people believe that she doesn't understand even though she understands totally.
Yenifer:
Yenifer is the life of the family. She adds so much character to the home.
Ruavis:
Ruavis is one of the more severe kids in our home. Though I did get to know him before his brain damage got worse, he is a very good snuggler when he's calm.
Cesar:
Cesar is a sweet lively boy. He knows how to push your button, but his sweet attitude, which pokes out once in a while, makes it worth it
Alison:
Alison is a beam of sunlight that our home needs. From her sweet smile, snuggles, and the signs she does to communicate.
Olimpia:
Olimpia is both sweet and sour. She and her sister bring an abundant amount of joy into the house.
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