Love Language

Monday was our sabbath, so I decided to adventure into town. I wandered up and down streets, rested in a park, and of course, read at a coffee shop while I drank an entire french press. Going by myself, I understood that I wasn’t going to be able to communicate with people very well since I’ve been pretty bad at picking up the language here. This didn’t bother me at first, but as the day went on and as my time here has grown, it began to kind of frustrate me. 

    I want to pass people in the streets and tell them about what God is speaking to me for them. I want to gaze next to birdwatchers at the park and hear their story. I want to ask people about their books while we sip on a fine cup of coffee. I want to make the women at our beauty for ashes ministry laugh and feel at ease. Last but not least, I want to ask the kids in our community goofy questions as I play with them.

Sure, I used to help lead a ministry back in the states, but the thought of leading a VBS, hosting the community’s first-ever women’s ministry, or even just talking to the locals as I walk by can be super intimidating knowing we don’t speak the same language. So I asked God to help me find a way to love the Guatemalan people well. The problem was I thought that had to be through words.

That Tuesday, I walked into VBS super nervous, but a little girl ran up to me and just wanted to be by my side, even if both of us were silent. The music started playing, and so did the rest of the kids, but this little girl didn’t join them. She wanted to stay by me, so I tossed her into the air and spun her around and around as long as I could. I’ll never forget the look on her face and the sound in her laughter of pure joy. She didn’t need words to feel loved. 

As I processed that on the walk home, I thought of the evening we walked the same road passing out invitations to our women’s ministry. Gabby and Jenny, two local girls who were excited to help us, tagged along. So we split off into teams to divide and conquer the entire community. I ended up being split off by myself with Jenny, who speaks fluent Spanish and very little English. I couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. I wanted to ask her so many things and grow in friendship with her, but I had no idea how to do that without knowing how to speak her language. As we walked in silence, a car came zooming by us out of nowhere. I reacted in the joking way I usually do and let out a big ol’ “Yee Haw!” Jenny burst out laughing, and before I knew it, she was saying “Yee-haw!” too. We skipped through the streets, jumped over creeks, and dodged more motos with a joyful “Yee-haw!” haha. 

As I thought about these things, I’ve realized language does not equal love, but rather love itself is a universal language. I never had to say anything. I just needed to be there. We won’t be remembered for the things we say, prayers we pray, prophetic words we give, or messages we preach but in the way we show up for others. We follow Jesus not only because of what he says, but the way he radically loves you and me. 

Who’s the person in your life you’ve been avoiding? It can be scary not knowing what to say to someone. Lulls in conversation can be super uncomfortable, but showing up for someone and loving them, even in silence, could change their life. 

Let’s get a little uncomfortable in the way we love people.