"Work hard at everything you do; your reward will come from
God." ~ Colossians 3:23
Life is funny. Just when you think you know the ending, the
signs change, the wind blows another way and heartbreaks turn heartening.
Orphaned at 6 months, Fidencio Sánchez had been working to
support himself since he was 13, first in the fields of his native Mexico, and
since 1990 in Chicago. For longer than
anyone could remember, Sánchez shuffled the streets of Chicago’s Little Village
neighborhood pushing a freezer cart stocked with icy treats.
Dogged determination and a permanent smile greeted local
customers year round, even through bitterly cold winters. But at age 89 and on failing knees, he was
forced to retire.
Two months later, their daughter and only child, passed away
saddling the Sánchez’s with a new set of expenses. She’d been helping the family pay rent and
utility bills. Since her death, they not
only had to absorb those bills but the added cost of caring for 2 grandchildren.
So back to the work he loved. And his world changed again.
Later, so moved by the street vendor’s work ethic, Marcias
created a GoFundMe page for Sánchez, seeking $3,000. He hoped to give the elderly man a day or two
off.
Within hours, support from 69 countries poured in. By the end of the fundraiser, 17,500 fans
had raised more than $380,000.
Upon receiving the check Sanchez shared his gratitude
towards the thousands that heard his story and contributed to the fund. He also thanked Joel for sharing the photo and
opening the account.
Then this humble and faithful Chicagoan thanked his
Lord. “Most of all I’d like to thank God
for this miracle. There’s more than
enough money to spread around,” Sánchez added.
“I’m going to give part of it to my church here, part to the church in
Mexico. Some will go to my
grandchildren. Some will go to certain
people that are also in need.”
He also hopes to buy a small house and may “indulge” in some
hearing aids. But in the meantime, he’s
not quite ready to stop working. It's
what he’s done all his life. He’ll
likely die walking while continuing to ‘sweeten’ other people’s lives.
Work is integral to life, and approaching work as God-given gives
us more pleasure in it. We can work
cheerfully and without complaint because we’re working for a Lord who loves us
and has redeemed us. A good work ethic can
also be a witness to others. Others take
notice of your efforts and wonder why.
Dear Lord, we know that this life is not all
there is; that the best is yet to come if we live for You. So, help us each day to live our lives in ways
that honor and please You. And let us
not forget to give You all the praise and thanks. Amen
