There is lots of things to love about Nicaragua. The food, the people, the culture; the very air is teeming with life. I could go on and on for days on how much I love this country and how much I have learned.
I have been waiting for the Lord to give me a really cool inspiration for a blog. And while many very interesting and great things have happened, none of them have really inspired a written account. That is, of course, until today.
Today we went to Bethel, which is the village we go to most often. When we go there, we play with the kids and build relationships with the people. When we went this afternoon, four of us decided to go and visit Conny.
We love to visit Conny. When you visit, you see flowers in her yard, the biggest pig you will ever see, chickens running around, and ripe mangos ready to be eaten. Conny always has her door open to us, and showers us with constant love and affection. And today, she had a little extra surprise. A tiny black chick, probably not 3 days old.
I had seen chicks around before, but for some reason this one was different. It was very tiny, and when she set it down on the ground, it immediately flopped down, too weak to lift itself up.
She said that the chick had come from nowhere; she just heard weak cheeping in front of her door and found it. As she spoke, she picked up the chick and set it in my hand. It was so tiny and pitiful, and I felt my heart ache at how weak it was. As I continued holding it, Conny began to force its mouth open and put little grains of rice in its mouth. She did this several times, and then poured some water down its throat. As she did this, the chick squirmed in my hand and cheeped softly. Once she had finished her work, it curled in my fingers and fell asleep.
A few moments later, it woke up, and began to cheep loudly, squirming in my hand. At Conny’s suggestion, I set it down on the ground, and watched with delight as the little chick started jumping around the yard, testing out its legs. I felt so happy at the change; it just needed some food, water, and rest, and it was able to start doing what it was meant to do.
It made me think a lot about ourselves. When God wants to give us something good when we are pitiful and weak, we struggle and fight and cry out that we don’t want it. But then, after the struggle and a little peace, we are better able to serve the Lord and do what it is that we are meant to do.
The little chick, in a way, showed me the amount of change that has happened in my life since I came to Nicaragua. Quite a few times I have struggled with what God has shown me and cried out to Him in my distress. But once the struggle is over, I have an overwhelming peace; and I become more of the person God has created me to be.
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord, who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”– 2 Corinthians 3:18
