“Whatever you do
for one of the least of these, you do for me." ~ Matthew
25:40
The American missionary wandered
through the small Guatemalan village. While he’d spiritually planned for this
trip, Manuel wasn’t prepared for the poverty, living conditions, and pervasive
hunger he confronted upon his arrival two days ago.
Still, he was eager to learn from local Mayans, to see how
they were tackling problems of almost overwhelming magnitude, and to learn from
their successes and their failures. Manuel prayed that exploring another
culture would give him a sharper perspective – becoming more observant,
thankful, and accepting of others.
“Please help, yesterday a 50
quetzales (often abbreviated as 50Q) bill fell from my pocket near this corner.
My eyesight isn’t too good anymore so I couldn’t find it. If you found it,
please return it to me soon.”
Below those words, the author left an address. Strange he
thought, 50Q seemed like such a measly amount ($6.47 USD), but the person who
wrote the note must have really needed the money.
Manuel asked for directions to
the house and, upon arrival, knocked on the door. An old woman limped forward. Milky
eyes set deep into a time-worn face revealed damage from Guatemala’s punishing
UV rays. She showed no reluctance to the stranger in her presence.
“I saw your note and came to return your money,” he offered
warmly.
Tears came quickly – the kind
that made the frail woman tremble. Manuel waited for her to speak.
“Young man,” she began, “at least 30 people have already
stopped by and returned what they believed was my 50Q bill. They must have
assumed my condition and offered to help an old woman out of compassion.”
“Please sir,” she said through more tears. “Keep your money
and thank you for your kindness. Would you mind removing my note from that
pole? I’ve been blessed well beyond my needs!”
He agreed but added a 200Q note to a large pile of bills
already on the table that must have totaled over $1,000 USD worth of Guatemalan
currency. He smiled to himself as he walked back toward the street. “She must
have asked every other visitor before me to remove the note too,” he thought. “Since
no one else had done so, why should he?”
God’s heart aches for the poor and needy; they’re His
children too. He’s right beside every person on earth. We must follow in His
footsteps, it’s that simple. When we reach out to people who’re hurting, our
problems begin to shrink, and we draw closer to God’s heart in the process!
Lord, “use my hands and feet to make Your kingdom come. To the corners of the earth until Your work is done. ‘Cause faith without works is dead, on the cross Your blood was shed. So how could we not give it away so freely?” ~ Leeland
