"Let Your Faith Be Bigger Than Your Fear"
The month that I spent in Guatemala was a huge testament to this quote. If I had let fear overcome me, I wouldn't have experienced what the Lord's purpose was for sending me. One of the best things that happened during that month was meeting Hermanio and immediately growing a special bond with him.
When I first met Hermanio, I noticed that something was wrong with his legs and he wasn't able to walk on his own. I soon learned that he was born and suffering from hip dysplasia. It was evident that he had poor range of motion in his hips because he waddled around instead of walking normal like the other kids his age. He never seemed to be in any pain but always needed a hand to hold while walking to keep steady.
I made my way to see Hermanio up at the hospital each day even if I wasn't able to stay long. His sweet face would light up every time I came through the door and he would keep me laughing the entire time. He struggled with saying my name, so referred to me as "mama". As a 3 year old, he was extremely smart but also very mischievous. Whenever I would set my backpack down, he would grab my cellphone out of the pocket and take a tremendous amount of pictures of himself.
Saying goodbye to him after that month was hard. I remember visiting with him briefly and explaining that it was time for me to return home for a few months. After one last tight hug, I put him back in his crib and closed the door to the hospital room. As I walked out, I listened to him scream my name while tears streamed down my own face.
During the next few months while I was home, I got updates on Hermanio and found out that he was having surgery to fix his hip dysplasia. Friends sent me pictures of him in his cast after the surgery and my heart hurt for that energetic, exuberant boy who had to be confined to his bed for three months in order to recover.
A year later, I returned to Guatemala and Hermanio was now in his second cast but still pretty restricted. The bulky, purple cast went all the way up to his chest making him unable to bend at all. I remember picking him up in that stubborn, heavy cast and wrapping him in my arms as tight as I could. Although he wasn't able to do much, we did everything to get him out of that hospital bed.
In 2016 when I returned, I found Hermanio walking around cast-free! He was in physical therapy each day to gain strength in his lower body and start learning how to use his leg muscles. It was truly amazing to watch him walk around all by himself.
This little boy, now 6 years old, continues to inspire me to always have joy despite any circumstance. Life is too precious and short to live dreading the next day. I am thankful that faith overpowered any fear that I had about serving in Guatemala. Without trust in the Lord, I wouldn't have met this special boy who is now a huge part of my life.
My challenge to you is to stop living in fear and make the most of each day. When you let go of your struggles and cling to the Lord by faith, you will be able to experience amazing things that God has for you.
"But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit."
Romans 7:6
