Hablas Espanol?

"Hablas Espanol?" (Do you speak Spanish?) "Si, yo pienso. " (Yes, I think.)

Two times in as many days I have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting new friends in our community who speak some English, but mostly Spanish. It has been years since I needed to speak Spanish on a regular basis and I have been so thankful to experience our Lord's grace as words came back without any thought--vocabulary that I didn't remember having.

Yesterday I spent unexpected time with a man I'll call Rigoberto. He was asking me questions about different interpretations on some general issues in the Bible. As I began to interact with him another Spanish speaking man who was doing some masonary work two doors down came over to visit with us. He listened as I interacted with Rigoberto. I tried to explain concepts such as the Trinity and the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ for sinners. After a few minutes the other man, Jose Luis, chimed in with further explanation. He already understands the gospel, and is himself a follower of Jesus.

We had rich conversation for the next ten minutes or so and Rigoberto began to look as though he was understanding what I was so feebly trying to explain. I asked him if he understood. "Si," he said. Then I asked him if he would repent and put his trust for salvation in Jesus. He looked at me with a kind intensity and said, "Hmmm, no se." (Hmmm, I don't know.) He went on to tell me that it is a lot to take in. And indeed it is. He and his wife will be joining us for dinner in a couple of weeks and we look forward to getting to know them further. Hopefully the conversation will roll pretty smoothly. He is such a kind friend and we can't wait to meet his bride of ten years. This should also be a great experience for our children as they learn what can sometimes be required to enjoy friendship with others.

On another note...tonight our family spent 30 minutes sitting on some large swinging chairs in Lowe's. It was wonderful to sit and rest, numbly gazing across the isle at some plastic covers for grills and an assortment of rakes and other tools. I'm so thankful for the way that God refreshes us in the least expected places.

I'm considering the lilies (and orchids) today. If you haven't done so yourself lately, take a few minutes at your local garden supply and marvel at God's care for those creatures that neither toil or sew but enjoy adornment that is not even paralleled by King Solomon, P. Diddy, Posh Spice, or the Queen of England.