A Gift of God’s Love

My father has taught me many things, but one thing has stood out time and again- the power of giving.

Fifteen years ago my dad felt compelled to go on a short-term mission trip to Honduras, putting his skills as a builder to work on a medical clinic. While there, he befriended a rag-tag group of children who played near the building site. They captured his heart, especially the 4-year-old boy named Ybor. He was the son of the village prostitute, usually left in the care of his elderly grandfather.

When Dad came home, he left a piece of his heart with a little boy in that seaside village. Over 10 years later, my father returned to Honduras after Hurricane Mitch ravaged the country. Ybor was not forgotten. Dad heard that the boy had been given up for adoption and hoped to meet the young man Ybor must have grown into.

Dad gave a lot of thought to a suitable gift for Ybor. He finally settled on a fully equipped toolbox, remembering how expensive they had been to purchase locally on his previous visit. Dad was unprepared for Ybor’s reaction. Ybor grabbed the box and ran back into the little house where he lived with his adoptive family. When he emerged again, his face was wet with tears, as was that of his adoptive mother. She explained that Ybor had just been offered a rare opportunity as an apprentice, but the stipulation was that he needed to provide his own tools. The cost of tools locally was prohibitive, but they had prayed only that morning that God would provide.

God had planted a seed of love in the fertile soil of a giving heart over 10 years before, and it brought the increase just when it was needed most. My dad gave a box of tools, but I’m certain that what he received was more precious- the knowledge that as a giver, he is a powerful instrument of God’s love.

~Author Unknown