We are not alone

We started out last week going out to the children’s hospital here in Puerto Barrios. I was a little nervous walking in, not knowing what I might find. The rooms reminded me of something out of an old war movie. Old, uncomfortable beds and a handful of patients all put together in one room with different injuries and illnesses. No privacy at all. It being a children’s hospital, the room was also filled families and parents sitting with their sick children. Looking around the room, one little boy in particular stole my heart. He was wearing old, ratty clothes made for man twice his size. He had no shoes. He had no parents or family sitting with him. He was completely alone. And by the look on his face, it was clear that he has been alone a long time. He looked so broken. Eric saw him first and asked me to come help translate and talk to the boy. The little boy’s face lit up as we approached him and began talking with him. We asked him his name and how old he was, to which he mumbled something like “Milo” and that he was eleven. We then asked where his parents were. He said he didn’t know the location of his mom and his dad was at work. He said his dad brought him to hospital two days earlier but it was unclear if his dad had been back to visit in that time. He complained that his arm was in pain and it had been broken in two places. Honestly, from the shanty, “soft cast”(if you could even call it that), I wondered if this hospital visit could even be healing his arm at all. We didn’t know what to do for this hopeless little boy except to pray over him and show him that he is loved. We also gave him a cliff notes version of the gospel in attempt to provide him with the slightest bit of hope. The short time we had to spend at the hospital quickly came to an end and we told our new friend we had to leave him. He looked up at me and asked, “Will you be back tomorrow?” My heart stopped. I began tearing up, knowing we would not be returning tomorrow. We reminded him that he needed not be afraid or feel alone because he has a friend in Jesus Christ. This friend would never leave him.
 
The image of this hopeless little boy has been instilled in my mind for the past week. Not a day goes by that I haven’t thought of my friend and where he might be. It is unsettling leaving someone so alone, but that’s where faith comes in. Through this experience I am reminded that as hopeless as this life may appear, our father has the same love and compassion for this child as he does for me. The Lord is keeping watch over him and he is not alone.
 
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1