Last Thursday as my wife and I were walking in downtown Fortaleza (Brasil), we came across a fellow on the side of the street who was begging. At first glance, nothing seemed to be wrong with him. He was just sitting there with a hand extended saying the equivalent of “alms for the poor.”
The sidewalk wasn’t very wide and there were a lot of people hustling to and fro. I managed to squeeze by him, without giving him any change, and continued on my way. Then I realized that my wife was no longer with me. When I turned I saw her stooped and talking to the beggar. Dang it!
So I make haste and hussle back to the beggar with plans to extricate my wife and be on our way. But, she is in deep conversation with the dude and not having any of me pulling her away.
Seems the fellow had a wall fall on him a few years ago. Almost killed him. Broke his arm and shoulder in more places than I have years of life. This doc put him in a cast but neglected to set all the bones. Twelve weeks later when the cast is removed, no bones! From his shoulder to his wrist he was missing his bones. He exclaimed, “its just like a giant rubber band!” and commenced to wiggle his arm from shoulder to hand, just like a giant rubber band.
He grinned like a cheshire cat and said, “Gross, ain’t it? But, you know what, I’s still alive and lovin’ every minute of it cause the other option ain’t too good!”
He got a whole lot more from me than some loose change.
And the rubberband man gave me much more in return.
Ever heard the expression, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade?” Or, how about “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes?”
How often is God just waiting to give us the best He has to offer, only, if it doesn’t come in the form we want it to or expect it to, we don’t see it nor do we get it? Why do we think that God will only give us the pretty, the nice and the safe options? Have you ever really read through the things Jesus said? Ever come across statements like “all nations will hate you because you are my followers” (Matthew 10:22)?
Could it be that we’re hiding in the basement of the church when we’re supposed to be charging the gates of hell? Is it possible that we’re too afraid to leave the safe confines of our ordered and proper lives to embrace the opportunities that God is giving us, opportunities that will always look like adversity, not blessings? Have we convinced ourselves that God is really a type of Santa Claus who only does “nice” things for us and shun the concept that our ability to help others heal is limited to where we’ve been wounded?
Maybe God is stacking the deck against us, just so we can experience a miracle of divine proportions.
Rubberband man brought this back to my attention. Life screwed up his arm and turned a bricklayer into a street beggar. But it made him appreciate life in a way he never could before. His “new” status is lowly in the eyes of the world, but he rejoices with every single day because he can open his eyes and breathe fresh air. “Gross, ain’t it?”
If you’re bored with your faith, spiritual life, religion, church, then one thing is for sure — you’re not following in the footsteps of Christ. Maybe it’s time for the true Jesus followers to put on crash helmets and charge the gates.
My rubberband buddy is leading the charge…