(Happenings in January 2020).
A couple of weeks ago, Natalia participated in a support group at their hospital for people like her living with HIV. Most of these people were in their mid twenties. They each shared about life and Natalia shared about our reuniting and she invited them all to her c-community. Afterward, a young lady and the psychologist talked for two hours with Natalia asking questions and they exchanged phone numbers. Unfortunately, this support group only happens once a month. Natalia has so much boldness and courage in whatever she puts her mind to. Last week, Natalia sent me this about another encounter she had...
“I haven't told you one story yet! I want to do it! Yesterday, when I was walking on the street, I met some guys I knew, they were drug addicts and they started offering me to take drugs take off. To which I replied that I wouldn’t do this. They asked me in surprise: "How, you don’t want this to do? How do you manage it? " I told them that the Lord was holding me. I love Him and he gives me the strength to resist it. They smiled a little and told me that I was crazy, that no god exists. And they left. When I refuse to use drugs with them, they think that I have lost my mind, that I do not want to do this, and that I believe in God. I’ll tell you what I felt at the time when they offered me drugs. I looked at them differently. I did not think about drugs directly at this time. I looked at them and I just felt sorry for them at how pathetic it was."
Every moment is a choice whether or not to move in a certain direction of our lives. We all influence people in some way and are influenced by others. The choice we have is how we allow the influence to happen.