Tuesday, February 9, 2010

A Great Day With A Great Leader

He lives in a interesting rural shack. Most anyone I know wouldn’t intentionally be caught living in this sort of home. Right from the driveway, you step down a few steps into a living and dining area. Merely, using the previous words, conjures up the wrong image for most of us in Orange County.

There are NO doors. There are NO locks. In fact, there are NO windows. The floors are a mix of cement and dirt. The next two rooms, includes living space for two families. However, each space is not all that much bigger than most people’s walk in closets. Chickens, dogs, and people all move in between each room. I’ve been to his home a number of times now and what I notice isn’t so much what IS NOT there, but what IS there.

At Pastor Miguel’s home, there are big smiles, a sense of humor, loads of hospitality, deep appreciation for God and His enduring care and faithfulness. Sure language could be a barrier, but not with Pastor Miguel. I mean, when I talk he doesn’t understand and when he talks I don’t understand, but yet we, both, get it. We, BOTH, have a deep love for Jesus that transcends language. We, BOTH, have a sincere heart to want to see our communities impacted with good news of reconciliation that God’s Spirit provides.

I wish all of you had the opportunity to meet Pastor Miguel and his family, to sit in his home, eat with them, hear their jokes and listen to his heart for his community. If you could, the things of this world...well, I’m not sure they’d be that big a deal to you anymore.

Tim

P.S. You can get a little sense for Pastor Miguel as he talks about his care for his community on this video