January 27, 2016

Goosebumps Moments

By Maria Silva

Today I experienced a small token of God’s invisible yet faithful work behind the scenes. I don’t often have these “supernatural” moments where I can clearly see Him at work. That’s why I was delighted today when through an unusual incident I was able to see how God is at work to make my life sensible and meaningful, paying attention to all the littlest details. Aside from reaffirming my faith, it also reinspired me in the need to be His reflection to others, showing them an example of love and kindness, as well as sharing the plan of salvation with them.

Last year, when my husband and I were on a trip 400 kilometers away from our home base, we teamed up with a few friends to take a disabled man, Giorgio, up a mountain in northern Italy. We were given the use of a Joëlette, which is a one-wheeled chair that needs to be held and maneuvered by two assistants.¹ It was not an easy task as we struggled up the rocky mountain path with our 80 kilo load, but many hands make light work, and after several hours we eventually reached the top.

The day was beautiful and the view was breathtaking. Giorgio was in tears as we sat him down on a blanket and for the first time in his life he looked down on the town where he lived. His whole life he had seen this mountain as a big giant looming above his town, and had wondered what it would be like to be at the summit. Now he was there. He saw his life from an entirely different perspective. He was deeply touched by the friendship, camaraderie, and love that surrounded him.

We were not the only ones on this mountain that day. We met dozens of people along the way, many commenting on the bravery and determination of our group with our unusual cargo. My husband and I were very happy to be able to give a hand in this undertaking. We enjoyed each moment of this special time with our friends, and we hoped that some of the onlookers would be inspired in some way by our venture. We turned our hopes into prayers, asking God to work in each one’s heart.

Fast-forward one year. Zoom out of Italy and zoom in to Croatia. Two young families, new friends from Italy, came to visit our volunteer center for a weekend to help cut wood for an elderly widow in a remote village. It was a weekend full of love for our neighbor and a tangible proof of the kindness of human hearts touched by His Spirit. Seeing these people travel so far to lend a hand to a poor, helpless lady to ensure she could spend a warm winter was truly heartwarming.

During the last meal before their departure, the topic came up about taking the disabled into the mountains. One of the couples started talking about a Joëlette that they had seen while on a hike and what a wonderful device it was. They mentioned that they saw a group of people taking a disabled person up a mountain, and how the joy he expressed once he reached the top was indescribable. “It must have been hard to take him up the rocky path, but it sure was worth it for him,” they concluded.

We mentioned that we had done exactly that a year before. “Really? That’s the mountain where we saw this!” A quick photo search and date comparison showed that, in fact, we were at the same place at the same time. Before we even knew each other, we had already “met,” and this couple had been touched by what they had seen, which inspired them to also want to do something for others. We hadn’t talked on that mountaintop, we didn’t even remember seeing them there, but a year and a few miracles later they were by our side cutting wood for a poor widow.

A coincidence? I call it God’s timing. There are many high mountains and large towns in that area of Italy. What are the chances that our future friends would decide to go on the same day to the same mountain? As for me, I got goosebumps. I knew the Lord was unveiling His plan and work in a visible way. He was showing us a tangible example of the awesomeness of His greater perspective. He let us have a glimpse of our lives from His point of view, just like a weaver working on a tapestry who turns the canvas over for a moment so we can see the real picture that he is working on, instead of the confusion of threads on the back side of his work.

As I was praying and reflecting on this, I thought of how many goosebumps moments we will have in heaven when we see the big picture, realize the connections, and understand how important various events in our lives were. We will see the impact we had on others unawares. We will see how each positive word of encouragement or leading someone to salvation was so important not only in the moment, but also in the long run. I felt a strong conviction of the need to let our light shine in any shape or form possible, because we never know who He is sending on our path.

I also saw that when we had prayed for the people that we met on the hike and asked the Lord to work in their hearts, these prayers had been answered in their lives. In this case, He worked in this couple’s heart and eventually led them to meet us and connect the dots about our past encounter. The way they met us is that the woman went to a new hairdresser several months after the hike and saw a Mottos for Success calendar there. She read some of the quotes, which she liked very much, and called our phone number that was on the calendar. Later she met us at one of our Christmas shows, and during the summer their family came for a volunteer camp. It was during our third meeting that we realized we had met on the mountain.

“For we walk by faith and not by sight.”² God has given many promises in His Word, from protection to supply, from His leading to His presence in our lives. Most of the time I have to take it by faith, as I don’t get to see the details of God’s handiwork. I just trust that He does work. I must say, though, that I appreciate the moments when He chooses to give me a glimpse into His divine plan and behind-the-scenes work. In His loving kindness He allows me to have some “sight” here and there, which helps me to connect with Him in a fresher and deeper way.

¹ See http://www.independentliving.org/docs1/joelette.html.

² 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Posted in: altruism, community, conviction, faith, following god, guest contribution, mission