Voices: The young man God changed

I can see him still—walking into the Alief Middle School where our church was holding services while our building was being built.

He was young, perhaps 16 or 17 years old. His sweet mom was walking him in. They walked slowly.

You could tell he was in great pain. He was born with rheumatoid arthritis. It had completely debilitated him.

I had heard of this young man through his mother and sister, who had just started coming to the church I pastor. They came every Sunday. On a few occasions they had asked for prayer for their son and brother, respectively. They hoped one day he would come to church with them, but his pain was so severe, his mobility so limited.

When he arrived, he entered the building with great difficulty.

I hurried to the door to greet him and help. He was extremely quiet. I don’t think he spoke a word. If he did, it was below my hearing. He did not make eye contact but kept focused on the floor with each step he took. His mom held his arm with one hand, placing her other arm around his waist to steady him.

He sat on a metal folding chair as the service began. I regretted we didn’t have a more comfortable chair for him. When I got up to preach, I could see him wince. No, it wasn’t because of my preaching. He hurt.

The service ended. A few helped him up. They assisted as he walked back to his family’s car. As he passed by me, he made no eye contact. I thanked him for coming, told him I would be praying for him and hoped he would come back if he was able.

The next Sunday

The next Sunday, I wondered if I would see him again. Sure enough, he came in the same way as the week before. He hurt, but he was back.

He returned the next Sunday, and the next, and the next. He spoke little, but he began to speak more.

I do not know what he was thinking over those weeks and months. It appeared he began to consider God in his life. From how he has lived since, I am certain of it. Javier has been with the church now going on 15 years.

When we got into our new building, his sweet mom was the first to volunteer to clean it each week. I would come in on occasion and find her with a mop and a bucket. Javier, not far from her, had a mop of his own.

He became more talkative, more mobile. He began to walk upright. He still has rheumatoid arthritis. There are days he still hurts, but one never could tell.

Today, he is active in the church. He is a delight. He laughs. He jokes. He works. He helps. In many ways, he is my main assistant—or maybe I am his, if he was writing this. He gets my Bible for me after I preach. He puts my things in my pickup while I greet people at the door. He has a key to the church and a key to my office. He is one of my most trusted friends.

God’s love for Javier

The two things I love most about Javier: One, he loves the Lord with all his heart. He prays. He reads his Bible. He never misses a Sunday.

Two, he is low maintenance. The young man who needed help getting anywhere now helps others. He never makes demands. He never complains. He never asks anything of me, though I am more than willing to do anything he asks.

His reliance is on God alone and the strength God gives him each day. Every Sunday, he and I and a few others watch football after church in the television room, or we go out to eat when football season is over.

This is not in praise of Javier, nor have I done anything to help him. God reached down and showed love to Javier. Javier, at some point, finally received that love, and loved God back.

God has made all the difference in Javier. He can do the same for you. My only complaint about Javier? He hates the Dallas Cowboys. So, please pray for him.

Johnny Teague is the senior pastor of Church at the Cross in West Houston and the author of several books. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.