goodbyes.hellos.deep.borders

It was Palma's last night and it was tough to see him go. You get attached to the hearts and lives you invest in so much. It was hard, he liked the word of God being ministered to him. I know because he told me so. Soft words for a tough gangster with an anger problem, how I praise God for the gentle spirit this man has received. But once in the free world would he be pulled from it? Can't worry about tomorrow, each days has enough worries of it's own. I just pray he will hunger for a meeting place with Jesus. Be that on his knees, in a park, at a church, please Palma, just meet with Jesus! It's a very scary time for these. As a a spiritual parent, I cry as I let them go. But I know that God has planted much of his word into his life. Palma grabbed my hands and asked me to pray one more time, so I did. As I looked up to my right was another young man by the same first name as Palma, with a spark of hope in his eyes. He asked me, "Ma'am will you pray for me too?", we bowed our heads and God took over and gave me a prayer for this young man. It was good, God threw his arms around this young man and welcomed him home, he just gave me a prayer of prescence and love unconditional - he told this young man that he could be certain he was right there with him as certain as he was that he knew the very number of the hairs on his head. And as he raised his head up and I looked into his eyes they were filled with tears, streaming down his face. It is rare to see this much emotion in front of thier peers,
I must admit my selfish heart was so comforted to know that I can go on because when I say goodbye to one I love so deeply I go on to the next because God has faithfully shown me my love is deep because his is deep and yes I can go on because it is what I do - his love brings hope and life to so many..including me!
I was in Mexico this weekend and so many of the guys we work with have a daddy somewhere in that country that they never see - all I could really think about and pray for is that they would come to know a Father not from another country who can't cross the border but one who is here - not one who can't be embraced or touched, but one who is present, here is the one who will never leave them, one who is not across the border, He is thier Hero who longs to save them.