"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures
forever." Psalm 107:1
Teachers know that there are some students who touch
your heart and you are never the same. All it took at the beginning of the
school year several years ago when I was still teaching to hear about a student
who had come to this country who could barely speak English, and my heart instantly
went out to him. When I met him on the first day of school all he could do was
smile, and it was a smile that could fill a dark day with hope. I loved this
boy instantly and as I learned more of his difficult journey to this country as
a young teenager my heart broke for him and his family.
That year I made him my project. Each day I worked
to help him learn basic survival English. I met with all of his teachers
coordinating units that we would all focus on in order to continue to help him
adjust to life in a totally different culture. We assigned student buddies for
him in each of his classes who spoke Spanish as a first language. A friend of mine who spoke Spanish fluently
was recruited to be a liaison of sorts between his mom and his teachers. It was
a slow and at times frustrating task with few rewards that could be seen except
one, Samuel's big winning smile each and every day when he would come late to
class because he just couldn't understand the concept of class bells. He had
barely even been to school in his native country of San Salvador. School
culture was as foreign to him as being in another country. I could not imagine
his daily struggle. Inevitably, the year came to an end though and I thought
that I might never see Samuel again even as I wondered if I had helped him in
the slightest.
This past Thanksgiving, several years after teaching
Samuel, my church partnered with some other local organizations to put together
Thanksgiving meals for families who may not be able to have one otherwise. I
was so excited to hear that Samuel's family had been selected and would be
getting one. I immediately volunteered to deliver it.
Have you ever noticed that things have a tendency to
get crazy when you agree to do something that should be simple in order to help
someone else? First, the dinner delivery group had issues coordinating a time
to pick up the meal due to our kids' schedules. Then, after we were finally
able to pick up the meal we realized that there was a gift certificate for the
turkey. We knew that the family did not have transportation and to expect them
to go out and get a turkey the day before Thanksgiving seemed a little unlikely
to happen. We also noticed that the meal didn't seem substantial enough for a
family of four when three of the four members were growing boys, so we decided
to make an emergency trip to the grocery store.
After navigating the grocery store with five kids in
tow, late in the afternoon just a few days before Thanksgiving, it was no
surprise that we arrived at Samuel's apartment later than we had anticipated.
The youngest brother, Jose, opened the door partially and then Samuel quickly came
to the door to let us in. Samuel still had the same big smile. But this time he
kept saying my name and "thank you" over and over again when we
brought the food inside and placed it on the table in his small, simple
apartment. It was as if he was trying to make up for the school year of very
few spoken words. He seemed genuinely delighted to see me again and I of course
felt the same way.
Once outside about to leave after having had the
chance to catch up, I saw Samuel's silhouette illuminated in the two story window
above. I waved and smiled one last time as I offered a silent prayer that he
would look back on this night and feel the presence of Jesus in this small,
simple expression of kindness. There are moments in life that will never be
forgotten. Moments when you know that you are exactly where you need to be.
Moments when you know God is working in ways you can't even begin to understand. Moments filled with blessings indescribable.
This was one of those moments.
I drove home in the dark that night listening to my sixteen
month old yell and cry the entire thirty minute ride home. Her dinner time had
been disrupted by the fact that we were late in dropping off the meal. The
warmth of God's love made the dark ride home cozy despite the noise. God communicated
His pleasure to me by the peace I felt even through the crying. The joy
surrounded me and could not be taken away by such earthly inconveniences. I
wondered how I could ever want more than this? I counted my blessings: a comfortable
home, a happy family, loving people in my life, reliable transportation, a full
pantry, and most importantly a God who loves me. My blessings are bursting and
it felt so good to share. So very thankful.
