From a 'Cell', to a 'Cell'

 Under the same roof, yet … for years … we found ourselves no closer. Our eyes … would turn away. Our arms … never to touch. The hate … it was mutual. The streets, they were my home … The drugs … the buying – taking – dealing … this was my life. The tattoo’s … the piercings … these were my purpose … my reason to live. Change … never possible – except for one who is the master of impossibilities. A man … a child … not even his mother did love. 

Though I was guilty of a shameful life. I was not guilty for the charges that they placed against me. Charges that indeed would send me to prison for a very long time. A prison cell … this was to be my next home. Except for God … His mysterious ways …

His challenge … with one purpose … to bring that very change. Why I agreed … No reason, other than – the fact that he cared. Someone cared. "Three times", he said – "And if after those three times … you do not become a Christian … I will walk away from Christ."

So, on the following two Sundays I found myself in church. Nothing … absolutely nothing! If this God was real … he was real only to these crazy, insane people in this church. A third day … a third time was out of the question. There was no reason. There was no purpose … no change that was possible. My life … Stop trying to change me! Let ... me ... live ... my life! Yes, my life! Leave me be!

Why he persisted … only God knows. But he called … “Jarol, you said that you would attend three times, not two.” With disgust, and with my blood boiling and my teeth gritting … I agreed, one more time. One last time! Yes, one last time. And then, please stop!

As I expected … the third time came as no surprise. They sang … they danced … they preached. Wanting to leave before anyone could come over to greet me, I slowly began to walk out. It was my intention. I smirked. “These silly, foolish people” … I thought. “They call themselves Christians. I’m better off on the streets!” ~~ I find no other reason that I turned around … other than the Father … Calling me. “Jarol”. I no sooner turned, that I found myself walking to the front. Bowing … who is this? “Jarol, you are broken. You no longer need to be a slave to your brokenness.”

I don’t believe that I’ve ever been as broken as Jarol … but, I as well, yes, I have indeed been broken. I ask, “Who has not”? For Jarol, his brokenness brought change. A life of change, that included a different kind of ‘cell’. A bible study ‘cell’ group. Learning about forgiveness. Learning about a God, One who sent His son … Jesus … to die at Calvary. To die for the sins of the broken. And then … don’t you love ~ ‘And then’s’? And then, Jesus rose again the third day. Hallelujah! We too are raised with Him to a new life. A grateful life of service. A life that has received abundant grace. A life to love the One who has so loved us.

There is baseball … there is ‘Xolos’ baseball in the states of Sonora and Jalisco, Mexico. Baseball, to the Miskito children in Nicaragua … and now El Salvador. There is RSA … Reid Saunders Association … There is ‘Jarol’. Whose life on the streets brings a unique ability, and opportunity. One, that I do not have. Is this, was this Your plan? What we set out to do has been accomplished. Or ... is there more? I ask. I pray. Is there more? Baseball … Jarol, from the streets of El Salvador. And … thousands of cartel children abandoned by their fathers. “Lord, I ask. Are You leading? Is there suppose to be more? And if more, what does more look like?”

For now … I am grateful for a second visit … a second ministry offering to the people of Ahuachapán. I am grateful to have the opportunity to take baseball to this beautiful area. I am so grateful to have met so many wonderful people. To be blessed beyond my greatest imagination. For now I have added another name to this guy, whose uncle Ronnie called him ‘Kid’. Yes, I am now "Richard Alan Jopp Imaizumi Vega Gutierrez Asabi Ruiz Alvarado Williams". :) Thank you Jarol, Ester and Sofie, for allowing me to become part of your family. 

~~ Where and how the Lord directs from here … Through time and prayer … His journey, and His plan will be laid out before us. As spoken by the apostle James, “If the Lord wills”. Indeed, “If the Lord wills”, the orchestrator of this life will make known, and will put into motion the steps that He will direct. As Jarol turned around on that third time, and was lead to the altar. As the Father called him to salvation and to a life of service. So we come before Your altar Lord. We commit these thoughts onto You. 

 Might these songs by Zach Williams (no relation) touch your heart for what the Father can accomplish to the broken. "I'm no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God"