This story begins with an
unfortunate event. As it turns out,
water and wood floors don’t mix well. Our kitchen flooded a few months ago, and
fixing it has been a long process. After dealing with some lousy repairmen, my
mom finally found a great company. Javier and Gilbert would arrive early each
morning with their loud machines and stinky chemicals to fix the floor. Both
men were very trustworthy and polite, always greeting us with a cheek-to-cheek
smile.
Gilbert proudly told us about his own family - how he has a daughter who just returned from China on a mission trip and his sons who do very well in school. I was amazed to find out that after working long hours at our house, he would go home and work until late in the night remodeling his own house and doing work for other people. For someone who works that hard, I would expect him to be grumpy and tired. But not Gilbert! He always gave us his best while working for us.
Then there’s Javier. One morning, I was practicing some of my Christmas songs on the piano, which must have reminded him of the Christmases he used to have with his kids. With a sad look on his face, he told my mom he hadn’t seen his kids in 12 years and he missed them very much. He came to America from Mexico for a better life. He wanted to find work so that he could support his family. However, the amazing thing is how he got here.
Javier explained that he arrived here by swimming across a wide river. He was not a strong swimmer, so he knew he was risking his life to get here. Exhausted, and only half way across the river, he felt like he couldn’t go on. So he put his hands up and started to sink. Suddenly, he was caught on an arch shaped branch just tall enough to keep his nose out of the water. Over time, he regained his strength and was able to finish the swim to safety. He said that God must have saved him for a purpose.
His story changed my life. It made me realize how lucky I am not only to have a family, but also to be with them. I wish Javier could be with his family. I wish I could help him. So, I asked Javier and Gilbert if they would like to come over for Christmas. No one should be alone at such a happy time of the year.
Gilbert proudly told us about his own family - how he has a daughter who just returned from China on a mission trip and his sons who do very well in school. I was amazed to find out that after working long hours at our house, he would go home and work until late in the night remodeling his own house and doing work for other people. For someone who works that hard, I would expect him to be grumpy and tired. But not Gilbert! He always gave us his best while working for us.
Then there’s Javier. One morning, I was practicing some of my Christmas songs on the piano, which must have reminded him of the Christmases he used to have with his kids. With a sad look on his face, he told my mom he hadn’t seen his kids in 12 years and he missed them very much. He came to America from Mexico for a better life. He wanted to find work so that he could support his family. However, the amazing thing is how he got here.
Javier explained that he arrived here by swimming across a wide river. He was not a strong swimmer, so he knew he was risking his life to get here. Exhausted, and only half way across the river, he felt like he couldn’t go on. So he put his hands up and started to sink. Suddenly, he was caught on an arch shaped branch just tall enough to keep his nose out of the water. Over time, he regained his strength and was able to finish the swim to safety. He said that God must have saved him for a purpose.
His story changed my life. It made me realize how lucky I am not only to have a family, but also to be with them. I wish Javier could be with his family. I wish I could help him. So, I asked Javier and Gilbert if they would like to come over for Christmas. No one should be alone at such a happy time of the year.
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| Gilbert |
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| Javier |
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| Our floor guys happy & hardworking! |
Faith, you are an amazing girl. Sounds like others are so lucky to know you! I wish my 3 daughters (ages 11. 14 and 16) had hearts as big as yours! God bless you in your attempts to Make Change!
ReplyDeleteKeri from Connecticut