Missing Francisco

Have you ever had a gift and not opened it? I can understand a gift that someone gives you and you open it, but never use it... I'm talking about a packaged wrapped, with a surprise inside? No one knows until you open it. I debated of having this image or having no image. Of course this picture isn't of a person nor would a blank image be acceptable. But, it's my project and my life lesson and I had a gift, an opportunity... missed. Several years back, my friend Steve Novak was working with our church by going out into the community, finding needs and asking people, "how are things with you and the Lord?" Bold thing to do, but that's Steve. Upon arriving at a home where a younger man was working under the hood of his vehicle, Steve, for the first time would meet Francisco. As the conversation led from one thing to the next, Steve asked Francisco, "If the Lord was to return right now, do you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you would go be with Him in heaven?" Upon hearing this, Francisco said, "If that happened now, I would be doomed." Francisco, came to our church and had dinner with a bunch of us. He looked a bit rough in his sleeveless shirt and his large muscles and a tattoo band around his biceps, but he was there. As we shared later that evening, Francisco has questions... He looked at the Bible, asked challenging questions and after several days, committed his life to Christ in the waters of Baptism. I remember, I was there. Francisco, would stop by the building to find peace and quite and a place to pray. He had a girlfriend and they had a child that he loved with all his heart. Though he knew he should get married, his girlfriend wasn't to keen on the idea. She thought things were just fine as there were... she had not embraced the faith that he had days before. No matter what, he was set to change his life and raise up his kid in the Lord. He would come in his sleeveless shirts but his little kids dressed in the best clothes available. Opportunities came soon that would give him the change to be manager for a local food chain. But, like King David and King Solomon, He had a weakness. Women. He came to me and shared what he had done. I gave him straight forward advice, told him to repent and follow his commitments. It was February of 2007. Sharing a bit more, I told him I loved him and that he had a wonderful story and there I asked him if I might take his picture for a project I was working on. He was thrilled. We kept missing shoot times and then things took a turn for the worse. He had been falsely accused of something that could bring jail time. The evidence was weak at best, but what came out was that he was not a legal resident. His parents had moved here from Mexico when he was a boy and he never gained citizenship. When the law began making threats to send him to jail for several years and then deport him back to Mexico. Scared, and who wouldn't be, one day he just fled. If he was to be deported anyhow, no need to spend time in jail first. I never got to take his picture. Last I heard he was making $2 US a day. I don't know if I will ever see him this side of heaven. I don't know. He was a wonderful story of God living in him... even in all this mess. He told me once... "All I want is to be an 'Ultimate Fighting Champion.'" In Christ, he is an Ultimate Fighting Champ. Wherever you are Francisco, you have family here always. I will always be your brother. I wish I could take this all away. However, remember that when you are weak, He can make you strong. Do me a favor, take that picture and listen to someone's story. peace. johno~