Today I want to bring here on the blog a story that is to fill our hearts with emotion and happiness. This weekend I had the opportunity to meet Anderson Novais, his wife and their little boy, a blessed family full of faith. Now you may be wondering, who is this young man and why was this an opportunity, and for this I will tell you how my family met him. But first, I ask you: are you faithful in little?
A servant at the traffic light
Last week my mother was taking my cousin to an appointment when the traffic light closed, and they were surprised to see a young man with a neat beard, suit and tie, selling candy at the traffic light. An unpredictable scene in the city of São Paulo, where we are usually approached by beggars and small children who should be at school.
The young man approaches the car, very politely offers the candy he is selling and hands over a card with his phone number, Instagram, and professional information, such as the college he is attending. My mother is intrigued by the scene, praises his posture and asks why he is so dressed up. He kindly replies that if he were going to an office to work, he would be dressed like that and that that traffic light was his office. He completes the sentence by saying that when he goes to church he grooms himself and that he does it with all his dedication to God.
A blessed call
My mother is surprised, the traffic light opens, and she continues on her way reflecting on this. When she gets home, she looks at the card again and sees that he is in college in the field she works in, information technology. She comes to tell me this surprising story and comments that she would like to invite him for coffee, so they could talk about work and see how she could help him.
She contacts him, talks a little with Anderson and his wife, who are a couple of Levites, servants of God, they in turn tell a little about what they were going through in recent years, with the arrival of the baby and the financial crisis in the country, fortunately his wife started working a week ago, but he has not yet found a job in his area. That done, we set the coffee date.
A blessed afternoon coffee
Then in the afternoon, at the appointed time they arrived, with guitar on the shoulder, because after meeting us they were going to a prayer service and that afternoon we talked not only about work, but also about witnessing. Something that he told us, and here is where being faithful in little comes in, is that every day he took 10% of the money he received at the lighthouse to give back to God as an offering in the church where he served.
He saw God’s mercy and faithfulness, facing the attitude of faithfulness that he had, and one day, needing to make purchases and pay bills, because unemployed, they still had bills to be paid, such as property and food, he prayed to God exposing his situation and received 400 reals that day, returning to God 40 reals.
He was faithful in the little and so God has kept him in this period, he left his pride and shame aside to take care and support his family in a dignified way, in the midst of a crisis that shook not only the country where I live, Brazil, but the whole world. He didn’t ask for money, he got ready, he went to the traffic lights with the same commitment he would have to work in a company, because that is where his livelihood comes from.
My mother was willing to help him find something in his field, and this week she is passing on some of her knowledge and referring him to the company he works for. This is a victory story that is just beginning, where we see God’s faithfulness to those who are also faithful to Him.
Where are you at the moment?
Maybe everything is fine in your life, or maybe it isn’t, but what I want to ask you is: are you doing your best where you are at the moment? And I don’t ask this thinking only about work, but about your family, relationships, church, and so on. Everything we do we should do as if it was for God, keep that in mind, do your best and know that God is watching your actions, your recognition does not come from men, but from above.
I will leave here Anderson’s Instagram, in case you wanted to see some of the work he has been doing: @novais.candy
Passage from the day’s reflection:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Colossians 3:1-25
God bless you!
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