A couple days ago, Emilio came to our place. He and I have been in communication still.
Things were somewhat improving for him and his girlfriend. She is back with him in Cusco after she and her family recovered from the virus. She still suffers from her chronic illness, but her medication helps keep that in check.
However, in recent weeks, Emilio had fallen and injured his back. I think he slipped off a sidewalk, but I didn’t catch the details. Since then, he’s been in therapy to get his mobility back. He seemed to move stiffly when he was here, but he says he’s nearly back to normal; though, he still can’t lift heavy things.
He is to start back to his job on the fifteenth. He said he wonders if God doesn’t want him to have this job, and that’s why he had the injury. He’s been considering other work, but hasn’t found anything. You can pray that God opens doors if He’s wanting a change for Emilio.
With being off work for more than a month, his finances were tight again. He came asking for help. A brother from the States had read of Emilio’s situation a couple months ago and had sent money to me via PayPal to use in case Emilio needed it in the future. That was ready and waiting for this need.
Emilio had arrived very early, so we shared breakfast with him. He said his girlfriend is afraid that he doesn’t have friends in Izcuchaca and is only coming to see another lady. He wanted to hurry back so she wouldn’t worry.
Before he left, we talked awhile about some things on his heart. He wanted to know if he might be under a curse because of something his parents or grandparents did. I explained what the Bible says. I went further and reminded him that complete freedom comes from living in Jesus in faith and obedience.
He said he knows he’s in disobedience by living in fornication, but it’s what everyone does. Doing what everyone else does is generally not the thing to do, by the way.
Emilio also talked about having found his father a couple years ago. He’d never met his father before but was able to find him by his name. He lives in a village in the hills above us, actually.
The man has nine children by four women, none of them his wife. He is very fond of alcohol. While Emilio was with him for two days, his father got him to drink until he was drunk. Emilio normally didn’t drink. Things got ugly when Emilio’s tongue became loose, and he told his father all the pains he’d ever felt from being without a dad.
In the end, the man told him that he rejects him as a son because Emilio is weak (I think because he got drunk and cried. Not sure.). He told Emilio to be a man and to get on with life.
So, those two days of drinking and fighting are all Emilio knows of a father. I told Emilio I was sorry that he has no earthly father, but I reminded him that God wants to be a Father to him.
He agreed that God was a good Father and that he no longer wants his earthly father’s friendship. Even at nearly forty years old, those hurts from his childhood are tripping Emilio.
This is both a challenge to parents and to children. To parents, because the way we treat our children can give them a lifetime of trouble or blessing. Our unfaithfulness will be seen in our children. Likewise, our faithfulness to God will serve to bless them.
A challenge to children, because we cannot find everything we need in people, not even in heroes like our parents. God must become our everything. And we must learn to forgive those who hurt us in whatever way, even our parents. They are nothing but dust, just as we are.
Forgiveness removes the stumblingblocks of the past. Forgiveness frees us to live and love perfectly. And faithfulness helps avoid adding troubles to the futures of others.
Pray for Emilio.
Juan David 