Have you ever been close to death, or thought you were?

Several decades ago, a car accident in Canada left me immobilized and away from home. The doctor said, "You may die in the next two days!" I was faced with impending death, suffering, and my unfinished business with others, not to mention the realization of the unimportance of prestige, political power, and material goods. What an impact!

Partly as a result of my near-death experience and the motivation, the strength, and the call that God gave me, I went to El Salvador for a short term under Presbyterian World Service and Development to enable the poor to become self-sufficient. After that, I stayed on for ten years of "tent-making ministry", doing consulting contracts to support myself. Many people feared violence and death following the Salvadoran Civil War (1979-1992). It was dangerous, and I would not have gone had I not learned to completely trust in God to protect and lead me. With a well-developed trust in God and in Jesus as my Saviour, I was able to discern and to do His will. Letting Him have control over my life and death brought me liberation and peace.

Luke 6:20-23 – Then [Jesus] lifted up His eyes toward His disciples and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. (NKJV)

Let Jesus have control over your life and death, and find your peace in Him!

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us voluntarily to stop and to become aware of Your gifts of forgiveness and salvation. Teach us how to trust in You for our eternal life and to respond today as Jesus would, in response to all opportunities. Amen!

A few years ago, I found myself in Canada, after ten years in Central America, where I had hoped to remain the rest of my life working with the poor. All was so strange to me that Christmas, as I remembered how it had been there at Christmas in the heat and sun, with palms blowing and dust under foot, compared with how Christmas was celebrated here before I went away.

My family was now grown and away on their own. It was a grief of sorts. I knew of the cultural disparity between the poverty of some and the wealth of others, and of what it really meant to be born in a manger or worse, with nothing to put on the newborn child then or in years to come. It was too much for me to bear, seeing all the gifts under the tree and the luxurious pageantry here, compared to what was so simple there. There, many of the children did not even know of Jesus Christ and His story.

One year I bought 1,200 crosses with string for a necklace and gave them to the children in one community, saying to them in Spanish, "the cross of Jesus" ("la cruz de Jesus") and making the cross on their forehead. I had a line-up of more than 1,200 children in one community come for those crosses, and some naked at about age 8 or 9. When I asked if they knew about Jesus' birthday, they looked at one another. Jesus is a name commonly given to children there, so chatter and excitement ran high as they stood in line and asked each other who this "Jesus" was in their crowd, and was he celebrating that week? How exciting! It was like the game of passing the word around a circle that we had played in Canada. This was the excitement I am sure that all the children felt about the birth of a new child and their celebration each year of the birthday, even without a cake, but maybe with tamales if they were lucky.

I will never forget this, and the opportunity the crosses and the question gave me to tell them a little about baby Jesus as I had over 1,200 children in line. Can you imagine that? Yes, I ran out of crosses, and this was just one small community. Everything looked different to me there. But the story of Christmas is the same and the birth of a child still brings us hope.

Prayer: Lord, open up opportunities where we are today for us to tell once again the real story of Your birth, for so many don't really know what it is. Help us to keep our celebrations simple, and focused on Jesus. In His name, we pray. Amen.

A recent visit of a friend from Central America provided an opportunity to look at photos of shared experiences. Although each of us remembered things in the same photo differently, we agreed it was like a trip back in time and into Central American life. Yes, it is true that I spent ten years living in Central America, learning about the life of the poor and the influence of the powerful.

It had been my goal to "help" the poor to realize their dreams — perhaps even to help youth, many of whom were orphaned following a long civil war, to grow, to receive education, and to obtain skills and employment. Our goal was self-sufficiency and sustainability. We in the social project world call it "enabling". But in return, I was transformed.

It is true that the poor have dreams which are thwarted, often because they are not able to manage the country's systems. In frustration, they grow angry, march for justice, and rebel, or worse. But their humble, simple faith, moment by moment, in God's hand ever present, and their trust in His will for their lives are enough to change one's soul. Broken hearts are healed by the balm of kind words, love, patience, and constant hope, and by their belief in me as God's child sent to them, if only for a time.

So here I am in Canada once again. Four seasons replace tropical sunshine. Individuality is the rule. Achieving business deadlines replaces the priority and willingness to take time to share, care, and show love to all. But my soul is forever changed, as I can more easily appreciate my blessings in the small moments in my relationships. For God is here too!

Prayer: Dear Lord, be with those who have little in material possessions and lack work or enough to eat. Help us to develop the positive spirit of hope that these people share moment by moment. Help us to be recycled in Your love. Amen.

Have you ever been close to death, or thought you were?

A car accident in Canada left me immobilized and away from home. The doctor said, "You may die in the next two days!" I was faced with impending death, suffering and my unfinished business with others, not to mention the realization of the unimportance of prestige, political power and material goods. What an impact!

Here in El Salvador, many people fear death or violence: a post-war delinquency phenomenon, they say. I came to El Salvador partly as a result of my near-death experience and the motivation and strength God gave me. Once I learned to completely trust in God to protect and lead me, I was able to discern and do His will.

Letting Him have control over my life and death, brought me liberation and peace.

Luke 6:20-23 – Then Jesus lifted up His eyes toward His disciples and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to stop voluntarily, and to become personally aware of Your gifts of forgiveness and salvation. Teach us how to trust in You for our eternal life and to respond today as Jesus would, in response to all opportunities. Amen!