Rev. Fabricio P. Guzman

assise
Originally uploaded by merelyhere.

Fab Guzman and his lovely wife Luella were regular customers at Martins supermarket where I worked for 7 years. When he found out that I was getting married because I was pregnant, it put me in a role he was familar in dealing with daily. I could see a check list of concerns going off in his head about the sucess rate of marriage survial due to unexpected pregnancies. He made it a point to visit when Kelsey was born. I felt like a social worker was coming to inspect my home and our marriage; to see if we or the home was fit for our new daughter. Fab showed up with a gift. A silver sippy cup with Kelsey's name and birth date engraved upon it. He stayed only for a few minutes, giving me words of incouragement on the big change in my life. How serious the responsibiity was. how real, how precious.

I knew all that. I appreciated his concern for the unorthodox way our child came into this world (in his eyes, and in many). But he was the man with the numbers and the life long experience committed to the underbelly of many cities and their people.

I had the pleasure of running into Fab and his wife Luella about one year ago. He was so happy to see where our life had taken us as a family. Our involvment in the church of the Bretheren. Though Fab challenged me further. in a few short words, wondered why I wasn't living and supoorting the northwest side of our city by living among the people that are in need? Well, he was there. many people have made that choice. I respect that emencly. But the house of cards did not play out that way for us. We didn't make any conscientious choices until much later in life. Even now those are few sadly. I believe we all have our place where the world needs us to play out our part (our gifts) responsibly. I won't beat myself up because it doesn't match your idea of what would be best for most. What we do....do IS something. It may not be enough but it IS something.

Peace be with you my friend.


~Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love:
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not
So much seek to be consoled
As to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born
to eternal life.

Saint Francis