The Joy of being surrendered

The group left on Saturday. While we were at the airport, Tony in the group decided to go to McDonald's. Shock of shocks, I know.

 

While in line, he met another missionary, and they struck up a conversation, talked about what they were doing, and found they both had a similar eye condition in common (drusen.) Tony brought Kent over to meet me, we talked for a while about drusen, what it is (he had not been given much information when he was diagnosed at all) and what options could be, and he asked if we might know someone in Ohio that could see him and help him out. I took down his email address, we chatted some more about how his condition as is was likely going to require them to leave Honduras, as he would not be able to drive. It was a pleasant conversation, definitely unique, but as often is the case...duty called, he had to leave. A God appointment for sure we all commented, and went about the day.

 

As God would have it, I wrote him that afternoon, my thought being to make sure I had the right email address, and wrote some optometry friends in the US to see what might transpire for Kent when he got back in November.

 

I thought little of it until I received a reply from Kent's email address Tuesday morning, but not from Kent, but rather from his wife.

She shared that during breakfast Sunday morning Kent had read my email and with tears and voice cracking he had shared with her more about our meeting, about the hope and optimism our conversation had given him about his eyesight.

Let me be clear...it might have been our conversation, but the hope and optimism could only have come from God.

 

Just a few minutes later...he was in severe pain. A trip to the local hospital ensued, then stable enough to one in Teguc, where after surgery for a dissected aorta, Kent went home to be with Jesus.

 

The point is...you do not always have to know exactly where to be, where to go...sometimes God puts the opportunities He wants to you to stop and pay attention to right there in front of you...even sometimes at a table in the airport lounge. When you see those opportunities in front of you, do try to stop and take advantage of them. Your time, your information, your just being there might be the hand of God right when someone needs it, more than you know...and in a timing much more than you might know.

 

He ran the race, and finished well...as he told us that Saturday running the race “fully surrendered to Christ.” May it be so with all us.  Amen.