Seeing Beauty & Value in a Trash Dump

"There's beauty here," the Lord whispered to my spirit. "Look for the beauty…..you will find it here."

I'm not sure what I imagined to find in Limonal but I don't think I expected to see "beauty." This community in Nicaragua was built on a trash dump. In my mind, I pictured garbage everywhere.. filthiness, horrible smells, uncleanliness. People living in shacks with dirt floors and wearing ragged filthy clothing. Children rummaging through the garbage to find food to eat or items to sell so that they could buy food to eat. What beauty could be found here?

Upon entering the community of Limonal, I noticed these beautiful flowers outside of a house. I hadn't expected it, especially with the images of a garbage dump playing through my mind. And that's when the Lord spoke to my heart to see the beauty.

"Look past what you see with your physical eyes and look for the beauty that I see in this place."

While much of the picture I shared with you about Limonal was true, this is not what I "saw" in Limonal. Let me tell you what I saw:

The beauty and value of Pastor Carlos, our partner in Nicaragua. l saw this quiet, humble man listen intently to everyone he encountered. He knows each person by name in Limonal and what's happening in their lives. He may not be able to fix every situation but he sees them, he listens, and he cares. With help from supporters like you, each Wednesday and Saturday, Carlos travels to Limonal where he provides approximately 125 meals to children, women, and people who are disabled. This may be the best meal these people get all week, but thanks to your generosity, Carlos is there faithfully every time. He sees their beauty.

The beauty and value of Jasmine. This young girl approached me on what appeared to be her walk to the trash dump to work for the day. She is just 13 years old. She shared that her pregnant mother was sick in the hospital and she was worried about her. We shared about the love of Jesus with Jasmine, that He is a good Father who is always with her, and prayed for her mother to be healed. We held on to her and hugged her - allowing Jesus to minister to her heart and remind her that she was seen and loved. Two days later, Jasmine and her siblings showed up to receive food from Pastor Carlos. The Lord answered our prayers...her mom was home from the hospital and doing better. The Lord saw Jasmine in her moment of need. He saw her beauty and brought healing to her mom's situation.

The beauty and value of Rosalinda, a woman in her 60 years living by herself. With no husband to provide for her, a son in prison, and another son living in Guatemala, she has no family to help her. But she has Jesus. With a smile on her face, she told me, "I don't always know how or from where I will get my food, but God always provides, often through the help of others." Do you see the beauty in Rosalinda? She has a beautiful faith and joy in Jesus regardless of her circumstances.

The Lord sees the people of Limonal. He loves them. They are beautiful and valued in his sight. Can you see the beauty in Limonal? I pray that as you go forth today wherever God has placed you, that you have His eyes to see the beauty that is all around you. Look for it...l promise you it's there.