donde la inspiracion viene

Just when I am at the brink of falling irretrievably into self-absorption, I am rescued by the grace of a day like today.

I was in Chinandega and Leon today with some colleagues to interview members of a "Businesses for the Kingdom" group intended to help Christian business people improve their businesses through the application of biblical principles and increased understanding of things like markets and feasability and other business admin 101 kinds of things. It sounds dry...until you know their stories and hear their passion and understand their commitment.

Like Yamileth, who went to dental school, got her degree, got married and had a daughter, but never thought she would be able to have her own clinic...until she became a Christian. Suddenly "out of the blue" the resources needed to invest in the upfront equipment and supplies began appearing...and now she runs her own dental clinic out of her home to help support her husband's income (which is small, since he is a pastor).

Or how about Pastor Wilfredo, who despite having many kinds of church responsibilities, maintains a furniture repair business on the side, and who in the last 5 months has seen the pieces "fall into place" for him to begin growing platanos on a small piece of land. "I told the Lord, everything I make from this land is Yours, just what I need to eat will I keep for myself." Why in the world would a pastor say that? Because he has a dream for his church...that it would be a place that "ministers to fallen pastors, helps them recover and begin again, and where my wife can offer counseling services to our community."

Then there is Margarita, who owns a hotel on the edge of town in Leon. Before she was a Christian, she says, she ran her business just to make money. In the last two years, though, everything has changed. "I decided I was only going to play Christian music and I wasn't going to allow alcohol," she told me. As you might expect, she lost customers, but she was convinced that her material success no longer mattered if she was not running a business that honored the Lord. "My accountant told me, 'do you want to fail? to go under?' I said, 'no, we are not going to go under, because God has given me this business and He will provide.'" And sure enough, after much fasting and prayer, in the last two months, Margarita's reservations and customer base has begun to grow again.

What is so impactful about all of this is seeing people who put their wallet where their faith is, who live depending on God alone, seeking His will for not only their "spiritual" life, but every other aspect of their daily existence as well. Even though one of the pastors I spoke to today told me what a great encouragement our visit was to them, I really believe that in fact the blessing and inspiration came from all of them, the Nicaraguans.

I have nothing to teach them; they have everything to teach me.