Day 37: Hope for Ingrid

Griseli and I might be getting a little attached to each other!

     Yesterday, I got the chance to speak with Ingrid, Griseli's mom, about Jesus.  I got to tell her that before I accepted Christ in my heart, I was dead.  I wasn't living for anything and I was living this life in the circles it brought me to.  I didn't know who I belonged to and didn't know where I was headed. 

     But Jesus.. who is so mighty to save, who didn't have to leave his comfy chair in heaven, who chose to love me even when I denied his existence.. He came and redeemed me.  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8.

     When I accepted Christ, the only thing I knew about him was that he did good things for people.  I figured if he really was my creator like he said he was, then he probably knew how to run my life better than I did.  The reason this life is so hard for most of us is because we are trying to carry the weight of it all on our shoulders.  Why do you think there are so many self help books out there?  Our world cannot take on everything life brings us on our own.  But that's the thing we don't realize before knowing Christ.  It was never meant to be that way.  When I accepted Christ, He came in beside me and took all the weight and said "Look at what I have done for you on the cross, stop living like I didn't give my life for you, I have redeemed you from the things of this world.  Go now and let others experience my love as you have."

     I don't know why someone would do that for me.  He knows me, he knows my inner thoughts, and all my sinful habits, but he choses to love me.  Why?  I will never understand, but I will forever be grateful.  Life is hard, that is that.  But why not look to the face who has open arms and is waiting for you to embrace him and just say "I really can't do this by myself anymore."

    Ingrid eventually stopped cleaning the pot she was working on and was fully in tune to what we were saying.  She seemed very emotional about what we told her, and I could tell that she is struggling with this.  We hugged her and prayed for her afterwards and left with a hopeful heart.  I know some seeds were planted and that all I can do is pray.  What a wonderful way to start out my last week here.

One of Ingrid's sons, Reimy, who calls me Tia Emely