Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 NIV)
Roberto was a Tzeltal Christian elder. When his Presbytery looked for someone to send as a missionary to the Amatenango Tzeltals, Roberto and his wife volunteered to go. Their family included a married son and four younger children.
His married son became very ill. Roberto took him to doctors in the capital city of Chiapas. But Moises died, leaving behind his wife and four small children.
Shortly after the funeral, Roberto came to visit. He was struggling. He said he was so sad and had come so we would pray for him. We knelt with him in our kitchen and prayed for comfort for him.
I then recalled what a pastor had been told when he was dying of cancer. A friend said to him that how one dies can be the most powerful sermon one ever preaches. The Holy Spirit led me to ask God to help Roberto so that how he responded to his son’s death would be a powerful sermon to everyone. When we finished praying, he stood up with a new resolve in his eyes.
God helped Roberto to live in the victory of knowing that his son was with the Lord. His testimony was indeed a powerful sermon to many. —Helen Hofman
As you pray, ask God to help you respond to your circumstances in a way that points others to him.
About the Author
Helen Hofman is a retired missionary. She and her husband Sam worked with the Tzeltal and Tojolabal Indians of Chiapas, Mexico for more than forty years. In their work, they helped set up a Bible School to train the Tzeltals, taught in the Bible School, prepared Sunday School materials, textbooks, hymnals and audiovisuals. They also coordinated the translation of the Amatenango Tzeltal New Testament and the revision of the highland Tzeltal Bible.
