Mother told the story of the Rodriguez family in a second message to a Grace Brethren women's during my parents' 1957-1958 furlough.
WE ARE THE LORD'S
If we live, we live for the Lord. (Romans 14:8)
The verse you have chosen for this year is very challenging. May it challenge our hearts again this morning as we think of it in relation to Argentina. The other morning we saw what it meant in the past for some Argentine believers and the work of the Lord as a whole when they became the Lord's. This morning let us think of several women from our new testimony in Don Bosceo - suburb of Buenos Aires.
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Mrs. Rodríguez was one of the first and has been one of the most faithful in this new church. She accepted the Lord along with her husband in our first tent meeting. How well I can remember her keen desire from the very beginning to know the will of God and to follow it. She read the Word and also good books from the church library. She testifies to her relatives and friends receiving the usual criticisms and belittling treatment as though one has lost his right mind. But little did she realize that her greatest opposition would come from her husband who professed to receive the Lord. Things were going along nicely until we asked her to teach a Sunday School class. Her husband [Camilo] seemed to feel that this matter of "religion" was going a bit too far - especially since his plans for Sunday recreations were involved. She had to resign her class. Many times she came to the evening meeting alone. Upon inquiring for her husband we discovered that they had gone to visit his parents and when it came time to return for the meeting, he was not willing, so she made the trip by train alone. In her quiet way she has been very faithful and we expect to find her the same upon our return.
She told me one night after an evening service that in her late teens and early twenties she had worked as an office secretary. Every morning she rode to work on the train with the same girl, a Christian, but, she said, "Not once did she speak to me about the Lord." She said, how different her life would have been if she had only been told about the Lord sooner. It was a lesson to me that I've never forgotten.
Mother´s mention of the Rodríguez family in this message, elicited a response from their daughter, Graciela. I have her permission to share the rest of the story for God´s glory and our encouragement.
Regarding my mother, Margarita, you [Rita] are aware of some situations that I did not know.
It is true, I grew up in a tense atmosphere, angry looks . . .
Not always or permanently, however. At times, conflicts arose, recriminations, tensions . . . Many times during my childhood, Mamá wanted to leave my father . . . Then came an acceptance and, when I was 14 or 15, the ambiance began to lighten . . . I never knew the "why" of those stumbling blocks Dad would put in Mom's path. I never dared to ask . . . on the other hand he always helped a lot in the home, he worked very hard.
What I never understood, were his ambivalent attitudes toward people. Many he admired and loved, among them the Hoyts, Palacios, Mabel and her mother, and he got along with Ricardo. He loved Pachín and Ester and the Corias. He used to talk about them, and the tears would fall. He also appreciated Mrs. Sansarowsky and Ofelia´s mother so much.
But there were others that rubbed him the wrong way . . . he was complicated.
In the year 2000, my parents moved to Nuñez. There they attended church and his Alzheimer´s began. He became almost like a child: happy, loving, very caring of my mother and my family. He sang hymns along with his records and the tears would fall. I believe the Lord granted him the experience of a true conversion.
In 2011 he passed away three days before his 88th birthday.
Rita, thank you for sharing these stories. I wanted you to know that though it took so many years, his character calmed, he was happy, loved listening to classical music, and when I visited them and prepared their dinner, he looked on attentively, trying to help his only daughter he'd loved so much, and he was happy, happy. As his character changed he relaxed. He was a very generous person and loved simple folk.
The Lord gave him patience (not always, ha!) and surely that was the path God had for them. Their final years were beautiful!
God gave doña Margarita the grace to be faithful, and patiently allow God to do His work in their marriage and family. I wanted you to know. I couldn´t leave the story hanging without a redemptive ending.
Camilo and Margarita were among the first baptized in Don Bosco. I was also in that group, only ten-years-old.
Graciela recalls that when she was twelve, my father asked if she was ready for baptism. He had watched her grow in Christ from the time she believed at six years of age. She wrote, "Surely, he, as my pastor, wanted to see me give testimony of faith in Christ through baptism, before his departure for the US."
The technological advances of our day allowed me to reconnect with several from those bygone days in Don Bosco. I feel so blessed to be in contact with Graciela. Despite health issues that keep her bedridden much of the time, she maintains a positive spirit and writes beautiful uplifting notes to many. Hers is the gift of encouragement.
In Mother's message above she talked about other women in varying stages of spiritual growth. And finished saying:
There are not many who are the Lord's in this five-year-old church in a suburb of Buenos Aires but those who are, have brought much joy to our hearts.
Conclusion
In closing, since you are the Lord's, you will want to help in our work through your prayers.
A list of specific prayer requests followed: the women whose husbands were not yet believers, as well as women and young people.
I remember some of those mentioned and others, and question: Where are they now? Have they believed? Are they walking with Jesus? Will we be reunited in eternity?
Several scriptures come to my mind in response.
"He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him (Ps. 126:6 ESV)."
True, as the stories attest, the toil and tears of years do yield a harvest of Christ followers.
Such is the promise, our labor is not in vain.
". . . so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11 ESV)."
However, Jesus also taught about the various reponses to the seed, His word.
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matt. 13:3-8 ESV).”
Then Jesus explained the parable:
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joyyet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty (Matt. 13:19-23 ESV).”
I will not have all my questions answered till eternity.
Meanwhile, I pray that we will heed Jesus strong warning, "He who has ears, let him hear (Matt. 13:9 ESV).”
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