Speak Life, Don't Wait

On Saturday morning Dennis and I went to an event at Cayo Christian Academy. One of our girls from Buena Vista started there this year.  The high school has a yearly praise event as a fundraiser.  They sell yummy food and the students perform songs and dramas for everyone.  They also invite area churches to come and give performances as well.  It was like a mini PraiseFest.

We had a good time but had to leave early to go pick up some other kids who were coming over to draw with Dennis after lunch.  It was a fun afternoon spent with young ladies who rarely ever have the chance to do anything for themselves.

It was around 6:30 and I was almost done cooking dinner when we got a phone call.  It was Brian, Sulma's little brother.   "Is Sulma there with you guys?"

It was one of those moments when the brain has to take a few seconds to compute, quickly followed by an increase in heart rate.  I explained that we had seen Sulma at the school earlier, but she did not come home with us.  Brian said that they were worried because she should have been home already.

Dennis jumped in the Bronco and drove down to Sulma's school but no one was there.  As he was out driving around Sulma's older brother Melvin called.  He told me that they had checked with an older sister who lived by the school but she had not seen Sulma.  The family had a motorcycle and one of the other brothers was out looking like Dennis was.  We all just decided to keep looking and waiting.

I will be very honest here.  It was all I could do not to cry.  My only thought was that our Sulma had not accepted Jesus as her Savior.  I thought, "There is a really good chance that I might not ever see Sulma again."  Human trafficking is a big problem in Belize and the danger is very real.  But, even though I had this thought I knew that I was not a helpless person.  You are never helpless when you have the ear of God.  I prayed and prayed.  I just prayed until the phone rang again and Melvin said that Sulma had arrived at the junction.  Thank you God!

Dennis and I have been talking with Sulma about who Jesus is and what He did.  She always listens very closely but has told us that she is not ready to trust.  Sulma goes to a Christian school and some in her family are Christ followers.  But still she is reluctant.  We have done our part, now the Holy Spirit is left to work as we pray for our girl.

This incident has given me the realization of the importance of sharing our faith.  God made it very clear that this life is fleeting and we must speak while we can.  We have been given the gift of heaven.  Why would we not share it with others when that is exactly what our purpose is?  The world has twisted things around to make Christians look foolish and naive.  But, I don't listen to the world I listen to God.  I encourage my fellow Christ Followers to be bold in your words.  Don't let others make you feel inadequate or silly.  Your voice can be the only thing that determines if a person will be seeing you a hundred years from now.  Open your mouths and speak life.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart please God, not the world.

Love you guys!

P.S. There was a time when I would have apologized for being "preachy", but not any more.  There is too much at stake.

Who Will Be At Your Funeral?

Dennis and I had the privilege of attending a funeral service today for a friend who went to Fountain of Life Church and had a ministry out in Buena Vista.  Dale Loy was a little older than Dennis and I, and left behind a very nice wife and four red-headed children.  He passed away suddenly from what must have been a massive heart attack.  (Not totally sure that heart-attack was the final word or not.)

Dale spent a great deal of time out in Buena Vista because he loved the kids and wanted to provide a place that was safe for them to spend their Saturday and Wednesday evenings.  He had a sort-of church service for them and then some activities to keep them off the streets as much as he could.

Many of the kids at the school wanted to go to the funeral today, so we helped some friends arrange for that to happen.  We ended up taking a small bus load of about 35 students and 10 more older kids over to the service in Spanish Lookout.  We decided to take only the older kids because of space.  There could have easily been 60 going instead of just 35.  They were so well behaved and we were very proud of them.

As we walked toward the front door of the church Dales wife came out and hugged my neck and then she just cried when she saw all the kids from Buena Vista.  She told them how much it meant for them to be there and how much Dale loved them all.

Dale and Mira, she interpreted for him.

On this Saturday night these kids had fun, were safe, and heard
about Jesus.

Dale having fun with the kids.

As we sat in the service I wondered who would be at my funeral.  And as I was thinking about it I thought this was a very good question.  What if everyone asked themselves, "Who will be at my funeral?"  Who are the people whom you have shared your life with?  Our lives on this earth are very finite and the time we have is overwhelmingly short.  If everyone could make it to your funeral who you touched in this life would it be a crowded place or maybe not.  The point to walk-away with is, your life is meant to be shared with others.   The love that you possess has always been meant to be shared with the people that you see every day of your life.  God puts us together for this very reason.  We really are our brothers keeper, God gives us the Holy Spirit to enable us to love those within our grasp, even those who aren't exactly lovable.  What a better place the world would be if we (especially Christians) would step out of our comfort zones and start to love how we are meant to.  Dale was a person who did just that.  Thank you Dale for your example and Thank you God for Dale!!  He must be having the best time ever right now!

1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three things remain, faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love."  The world needs to "know we are Christians by our love."  That's a worship song from a while back.  Good words to consider.

Love you guys!