There I was sitting under a tent in a public park in Catacamas, Honduras. Occasionally, I would have to wipe the sweat rolling down my face due to the heat. The shade is a friend to the middle-aged man with a receding hairline. I needed to sit down in the shade because I had just finished what the old preachers in the past would call open-air-preaching. It’s not something I’ve done a lot of, but when you’re in Honduras and they ask you to speak, you only have one word to say, “Sure!”.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for the likes of John Wesley and George Wakefield, preachers of the great revivals, who did this all the time in front of massive crowds. I know it will shock you, but my crowd was way smaller :). I was thankful to God I was not the main attraction. The church and those in the community were coming out for a health fair organized by Family Life Mission. Every time I have an opportunity to speak, I remember the words of one of my mentors. He would often say to me, “It can be a real head trip to get up in front of people and share God’s Word, always remember He is speaking to you as well, so you better be humble!” God has a sense of humor because even though I was doing the preaching, God knew I was about to get preached to.
With that thought in the back of my mind, I sat down under the tent and was handed some scissors and paper to cut. And when they ask you to do something in Honduras you only have one word to say, “Sure!”. I didn’t pay much attention to what was written on the paper. I was simply following the lines and cutting away. The health fair was starting soon and the paper had to be cut. The people in attendance would be rotating to our tent and they would need this piece of paper. I had one job to do - cut the paper and hand it out to those who were coming to our tent.
One of the Family Life Staff Members and a Pastor in the area, whose name is Wilson, was leading my tent. He turns to me and says one word, “Paper!!” By this time, I had seen what was written on the paper I had been cutting. The word was “Grateful.” Wilson was about to have them write on the sheet of paper what they were grateful for. But before he had them write it down, he had everyone under the tent share what they were grateful for. Of course, I’m lost because I cannot understand what they are saying. My Spanish needs much work!
At that moment Lisa Steele comes walking up and is standing behind me. She leans over and says to me, “That is Benjamin.” Benjamin is the son of the family we had helped the past two days. The Hernandez-Johnson family. He has a twin brother named Jeremy. They are 8 years old. I shake my head to acknowledge I do remember him from the previous two days we spent at his house. As I turn to look at Benjamin, he begins to share what he is grateful for. I am totally in the dark, but I know it must be touching because Lisa begins to nod her head and sighs. Clearly she was impacted but what he had shared. Lisa can see that I am still clueless and before the moment passes, she says to me, “Wow, he shared he was grateful for the abundance God has shown to him and his family.”
In the heat of the Honduran sun, I began to wipe away more than sweat coming off my face but the tears running down my cheeks. I was glad I was sitting down because 8-year-old Benjamin was preaching to me. God was speaking and I was hearing! I had been to Benjamin’s house. There was no abundance of toys. There was no abundance of clothes. There was no abundance of shoes. There was no abundance of space in his house. There was no abundance of food. There was no abundance of furniture. There was no abundance of entertainment. All I saw was lack, lack and more lack. But 8-year-old Benjamin saw abundance and more abundance.
No wonder Jesus had these words to speak regarding children:
- “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And he called a child to Himself and set him among them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 18:1-4
- “Then some children were brought to Jesus so that he would lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and do not forbid them to come to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:13-14
Benjamin’s words are still ringing in my head. “I am grateful for God’s abundance to me and my family.” I don’t know about you, but I want what young Benjamin has, I want to see God’s abundance in my life instead of the lack in my life. And that’s where the childlike faith comes in…being humble enough to place one's trust in a power greater than self. And to trust that no matter what happens, no matter what I may lack, God is enough. More than enough!
What fills the lack is not a change in our circumstances but the person of Jesus! Jesus who says we are blessed with all the spiritual blessing needed. Jesus who says He is for us and believes in us! I don’t even know if young Benjamin realized it, but that day, under the tent, he was directing me back to Jesus. Let’s follow young Benjamin’s lead. Let’s turn to Jesus, let’s trust in Jesus, the one who said in John 10:10, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly”.