I saw Esmeralda for the first time in months this weekend. And as we caught up with one another, the conversation turned to how God watches over His children. Her comments caught me by surprise. We'd never been able to have an open spiritual conversation like this before. It opened the door for me to ask "What do you believe about God?"
Her answer was much like what you'd expect to hear in this generation. "I think that Catholics, evangelicals, Mormons—all of us serve the same God and He loves us all the same," she said. "Yes," I responded. "But not all of our beliefs are the same. And anyone who doesn't believe that Jesus is the One and Only Way to know God is condemned. So in some ways it doesn't matter what denomination one follows. But this is THE key difference that we need to examine when we think about our beliefs," I explained. She agreed, of course. And then she made an observation that made me excited about the spiritual path she's on. "I've noticed that some people go to church, but they don't really listen," she said. When I asked her what she meant, she explained further, "I mean what good is it to go to church every week if your heart doesn't change?"
I'm so proud of the young lady Esmeralda has become. She is intelligent, kind and overcoming incredible obstacles every day. These sweet conversations with her are an encouraging whisper of a growing faith. God is working in Esmeralda. Will you pray for my young friend and for me as I continue to mentor and love her?
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