I don’t want to gloss over
people’s suffering
I don’t want to overlook
the skinny woman on the street
we walked past her, stopped for her
her name is Sarita
could you pray for her?
unlike the majority in Costa Rica,
she didn’t want prayer
she didn’t believe in God
so we kept walking…
I watched her defeated soul walk away
and I couldn’t keep going –
we had to turn around and go back to her
an awesome, authentic local with us, Tavo, said
that’s the Holy Spirit
so we went
I told her in Spanish we only want to listen to you
facing the street, leaning against the wall
broken, so so broken and defeated, she cried bitterly
”I have no family, my kids have forgotten about me, nothing to live for, I have no hope, I don’t want to live”
Jesus loves you. Jesus suffers with us. He did on the Cross
God is crying about it all
you were beautifully and wonderfully made
I look at you, and I see beauty
it’s the enemy and people that are to blame
you were made for a reason
“to suffer?” She says
we were led two times just to come to you, and love you
You deserve love
“Thank you but I don’t believe so.
I’m not interested in God.”
That’s okay, because God is so interested in you
she decided when she was young that
God couldn‘t exist
when an 8 year old gets raped and abandoned
we let it linger
I’m so so sorry
I asked for a second time if I could touch her
She shook her sweet, beautiful head ya
I swayed my finger on her shoulder for comfort
and as we said bye I got to hug her hurting soul
robbed of it all
I know it mattered
I know we went evangelizing today
for her
to show her she’s seen
we didn’t fully understand but it sounded like she was planning on taking her life soon
Like Tavo and Nathan and Gaby said, it’s God’s work now
our host, Gaby, has been in a similar dark place as this woman
and she’s a living testimony that freedom from trauma and addiction in Christ Jesus is possible. Abundant life is possible coming from any situation, when He comes in
Another woman struggling with crazy hardship accepted Christ today. The same day we met Sarita. Another man had his leg healed from a prayer today. We’ve had incredible divine moments like these too (Woman in a red tank top, Yellow house).
We just didn’t get to see that
at all today
We didn’t even get to commune with her through prayer
we just got to hear her cries and be there
This is her lived existence, and I better be willing to sit in the sorrow and brokenness of it even for a moment. Jesus did for all of us in agony
“Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2
This is not the end of your story Sarita, Jesus has so much more, so much love, so much purpose for you
But until that day, know this we see you and are with you
Spirit surround her
cover her
make us new
*Even though my fundraising bar doesn’t show it, I still need $2000 for the rest of squad leading, you can donate on the top of this page if you’re led
Hannah, thank you for sharing! This blog is so moving! Your statement “I better be willing to sit in the sorrow and brokenness of it even for a moment. Jesus did for all of us in agony” is incredibly powerful. We are praying fir Sarita, for you and for your team.
My sweet friend, you’re full of compassion and it inspires me. You see people. You have God’s heart for the broken-hearted. Keep planting seeds. Praying for Sarita now!!
The things the Spirit leads us to do can be quite unique and confusing in the moment but the only important thing is we follow through. Thank you for sharing this story Hannah!!