Norben and His Bike
Every day that we we worked on the house at San Gregorio, Norben was there watching us. If he wasn't already waiting for our van to drive up, he was close behind. He could not really work or help because he has an abnormal condition that we might label as a hunchback. But whatever he lacks in stature, he makes up for with smile. Every time anyone would pat his back, shake his hand, say "hola!", or even look his way, his face would beam with joy. Rain or shine, Norben stood beside us at the worksite, and his presence touched so many of our hearts.
One of our translators, Eluid, was particularly touched by this 13-year-old boy who stands about 3.5 feet tall. When Eliud found out that Norben has to walk to school (which is 20 minutes away by bus), he said, "When I get my first paycheck, I am going to get Norben a bike."
I think Eliud is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. At first glance, he looks rough and tough with his tatooes all up and down his arms, but his heart is bigger than anyone I have ever known. He is a pretty recent Christian, but he knows what it means to follow Christ. Anytime he talks to anyone, he tells them about God. Anytime he tells his story about his life, he includes how Jesus has transformed him. And anytime his heart is touched, he will act upon it with the love of the Lord. That's why he wanted to use his next paycheck to buy Norben a bicycle.
So this week we pooled our money, and this afternoon we loaded up the truck with a brand new bicycle for Norben.
As soon as we pulled up to the neighborhood, a bunch of kids saw our truck and came running down the road to greet us. Norben was with them. When Eliud pulled the bike out of the bed of the truck and presented it to Norben, I saw the biggest smile - not only on Norben's face, but on Eliud's as well. Tears welled up in my eyes as Eliud lifted Norben onto the shiny blue bike and ran beside him as he rode it for the first time. As Norben peddled down the road, Eliud jogged right beside him, helping him hold his balance. Norben's smile was so big that you could have seen it from a mile away. At the same time, Eliud's joy, pride, and generous love poured out through a smile that he could not withhold.
As I watched this beautiful story unfold, unexplainable emotions sparked a fire within my heart. To witness the generosity of Eliud's love inspired me to be a generous giver. To hear him talk about Christ with everyone he met challenged me to be more bold. To see him run beside Norben on his brand new bike motivated me to let my love move me to action. And to see Norben's bright eyes and wide smile encouraged me to pour out the love of Christ to every "little one" that I meet.
When I reflect on what I saw today in Eliud and Norben, I cannot help but think about our Savior. After all, isn't that what Christ has done for us? Though we seemed so little in his eyes, he generously came to us with a gift that we did not deserve. And instead of just dropping it off for us, he came in person to teach us how to use it, and he runs beside us to keep us from falling. Becaue of this beautiful gift, we have great joy. But can you also picture the joy of the Lord and the smile on His face? Nothing makes Him happier than to see His children accept what what He so generously gave and to respond to Him with thankfulness and obedience.
What I learned today is that there is no greater joy than to give generously and pour out love unconditionally. This is what Christ has done for us, and this is what we are called to do for others. Thanks to Eliud, Norben, and a new bike, I now see what that really looks like.
One of our translators, Eluid, was particularly touched by this 13-year-old boy who stands about 3.5 feet tall. When Eliud found out that Norben has to walk to school (which is 20 minutes away by bus), he said, "When I get my first paycheck, I am going to get Norben a bike."
I think Eliud is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. At first glance, he looks rough and tough with his tatooes all up and down his arms, but his heart is bigger than anyone I have ever known. He is a pretty recent Christian, but he knows what it means to follow Christ. Anytime he talks to anyone, he tells them about God. Anytime he tells his story about his life, he includes how Jesus has transformed him. And anytime his heart is touched, he will act upon it with the love of the Lord. That's why he wanted to use his next paycheck to buy Norben a bicycle.
So this week we pooled our money, and this afternoon we loaded up the truck with a brand new bicycle for Norben.
As soon as we pulled up to the neighborhood, a bunch of kids saw our truck and came running down the road to greet us. Norben was with them. When Eliud pulled the bike out of the bed of the truck and presented it to Norben, I saw the biggest smile - not only on Norben's face, but on Eliud's as well. Tears welled up in my eyes as Eliud lifted Norben onto the shiny blue bike and ran beside him as he rode it for the first time. As Norben peddled down the road, Eliud jogged right beside him, helping him hold his balance. Norben's smile was so big that you could have seen it from a mile away. At the same time, Eliud's joy, pride, and generous love poured out through a smile that he could not withhold.
As I watched this beautiful story unfold, unexplainable emotions sparked a fire within my heart. To witness the generosity of Eliud's love inspired me to be a generous giver. To hear him talk about Christ with everyone he met challenged me to be more bold. To see him run beside Norben on his brand new bike motivated me to let my love move me to action. And to see Norben's bright eyes and wide smile encouraged me to pour out the love of Christ to every "little one" that I meet.
When I reflect on what I saw today in Eliud and Norben, I cannot help but think about our Savior. After all, isn't that what Christ has done for us? Though we seemed so little in his eyes, he generously came to us with a gift that we did not deserve. And instead of just dropping it off for us, he came in person to teach us how to use it, and he runs beside us to keep us from falling. Becaue of this beautiful gift, we have great joy. But can you also picture the joy of the Lord and the smile on His face? Nothing makes Him happier than to see His children accept what what He so generously gave and to respond to Him with thankfulness and obedience.
What I learned today is that there is no greater joy than to give generously and pour out love unconditionally. This is what Christ has done for us, and this is what we are called to do for others. Thanks to Eliud, Norben, and a new bike, I now see what that really looks like.
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