moving

last fall I met a young man named Palma, a gang member. It was an easy connection, right away his story unfolded, and my heart began to break. No matter how many young men I meet, how many times I go, it's like the first time I have been. His sister died of brain cancer while he was locked up. It had only been about a month. He was not permitted to attend the funeral. Palma grew up going to church. His whole family did, in fact, his sister believed she would be healed. So when I met him, he shared that God had let them all down. He was angry at God and wouldn't even take a few scriptures - he wouldn't open a Bible himself. I told him that God had an answer to his questions about his sister. I told Palma that God himself wanted to speak personally with him! Something shifted as soon as I told him that, he said he would think about that. As we met the Holy Spirit gave wonderful counsel for Palma and God revealed himself in amazing ways to this young man. Then I left. I wondered, how would he do? He seemed to have stopped receiving, he became angry and you could see the battle within as you looked at this young man. I heard from staff that he wasn't really willing to have any counsel in my abscence. I waited to see what would happen when I got back and last week he showed up. the anger had lifted and he had done business with God. He moved into a place of peace with his sister's passing and he needed to see God's hand once again. So as he prayed for God to reveal himself, he did. God showed up and Palma got it. He may not understand every detail about his sister's disease and the details of her death, but he has trust that God knew what was best. Last fall, I pushed for him to leave his gang and he declared he would not. I checked in with him on Friday - he did. It is finished - this battle.