In the past couple of months I’ve been in two situations that were potentially critical, but thankfully crises averted. The first was in December when I tried to pet a grazing horse that, upon being chastised for snapping at me, lunged forward and bit me around the neck. That’s right, the force of his entire jaw wrapped around my throat, pushing me straight to the ground. I was sore for over a month. Have you ever heard of a horse going for the jugular like that? Strangely, in that moment I was able to stand up, dust myself off, skip over the whole, “I need to cry because I’m so shocked” phase and enter directly into the “I’m laughing because I can’t believe what just happened” phase. (Okay, I suppose that was after I exited the “scold the chuckling onlookers for not being more concerned” phase.)
Last night, there were no unruly horses around, just an unruly man who happened to be carrying a knife. It was the second time since I’ve been here in Nicaragua that I’ve walked out of a situation realizing how strongly the Lord’s hand of protection was over me because the outcome could have been so much worse.
My friends Yener, Oneyda and I were walking down the street after a Vida Joven meeting, and I was planning on catching a taxi along the way. All of a sudden, a man appears with a knife, and he starts coming after Yener. The next thing I know, I am holding Oneyda’s hand and praying for protection. It’s interesting the things that come out of your mouth in times like these (not that I have experienced many times like these) but I kept repeating “Lord you are good, you are good, you are good.” He is. Other than Oneyda’s hand, that’s about all I had to cling to.
I thought we were being robbed and that surely I was going to have to give up my bag, but apparently this man just wanted to hurt someone. He was probably on drugs or just deranged. We were able to walk away unharmed, but another man was rushed to the hospital with a cut to the arm inflicted by our deranged knife carrier.
I tell you this story to let you know that I’ve had a wake-up call to the dangers lurking in dark corners of this city. I have a renewed appreciation for the Lord’s protection over me, and also a renewed concept of the reality that while Granada may look and feel quaint, there is a looming darkness waiting for an opportunity to swallow anyone in its path.
Common sense and self-defense might get us pretty far, but my hope is ultimately in He who is greater than my enemies. Paul says that we are “more than conquerors” (Rom 8:37). Why? Because the maker of the universe just happens to be undeniably and irrevocably in love with us. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).
It’s through His love we get to wake-up another day and breathe. It’s through love we even exist. If we had any inkling, any hint of an understanding of the Lord’s affections towards us, how would it change our lives? Oh, that I might know more deeply that He loves me, He loves me. Nothing can take that away from us, neither man nor beast. Oh how he loves us!
WOW!! Heather, I thank God that you are OK and that the Lord protected you in both those situations. Today, I was reading in the gospels about what happened to Jesus before he was hung on the cross the things He endured for our sakes – and they compared it to Isaiah 53, when the suffering Servant was prophesied so clearly. At the end of these passages, they referred us to Hebrews 4:15″For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” It emphasized that Jesus is able to be compassionate and draw near to us in real understanding, because He has been one of us and suffered. I pray that these hard events will only work to deepen your relationship with Jesus and make you even more of a light and salt in a place that needs those things. May you draw others to the Messiah!!! Love, Bev
He is good! For sure! I am so grateful for His protection for you. Thanks for taking the Gospel to Nicaragua. I am unbelievably proud of you… and I think you look like a princess on top of that vampire horse! I hope you are having a good week, and remember how much you are loved!