with love, with hope, and with faith
What you are about to read is a story of a neighbor helping a neighbor in a crisis. It is a story of faith in action, of love embodied, and of the hopefulness that comes when people help in times of great need.
“Mauricio! Mauricio! Come quickly! There is a fire!” screams his wife from the kitchen. Mauricio can hear her panic and is alarmed at the prospect of fire. He quickly realizes that the fire is burning up his neighbor’s house. The fire is consuming everything, while he, stunned, looks on from his back porch. The house that is ablaze belongs to a family he doesn’t know, and still, he knows the right thing to do.
It is 7:45 pm on Thursday.
He rushes over to see if everyone is out of the house. He finds a mother and a kid dazed on the sidewalk. Mauricio, a father himself, exhales great relief to learn that everyone is out safely. They are still waiting on the fire trucks and first responders, but Mom, Dad, all three kids, and the dog are out of harm’s way. It is a lot for everyone to process as the sirens wail and the scramble to contain the flames begins.
Mauricio's phone alerts him that it is time to collect his daughter from a school function. He drives his SUV to get her and brings her home to the disaster unfolding in their neighborhood. He surveys the scene from his back porch. He and his wife have a gnawing feeling they want to do more, so at 9 pm they go out to the sidewalk to give the family water and blankets. The scene is still hectic, and he is unsure what caring for his neighbors looks like, but his compassion is at work. Not sure what to do next, Mauricio and his wife walk back to their beautiful home.
At 11 pm, Mauricio looks out onto the street to see only a single fire truck left and the family of five huddled on the sidewalk. He wonders whether more help is coming? Where will the family go tonight? He can see that the fire took both of their cars. He feels compelled again to check on his backyard neighbor. The scene is quieter now that the firefighters’ work is done and no onlookers are gawking about. In that quiet, the full reality of “where are they going to lay their head down tonight?” creeps in…
Mauricio longs to help people. His father raised him to share with those in need. He believes that God has blessed him so that he can be a blessing. So he approaches the family of five. He offers his connections to a local hotel and even offers them to stay in his home if they want to remain close to their burnt-out house. “We don’t even know you…how could we accept such generosity….” they wonder. Mauricio gives them his phone number and reiterates that the offer is genuine. Mauricio walks home.
He is just through the front door when his phone rings. It is 11:45 pm, and it is Andrew. “Do you really mean that my family can stay with you tonight?” Andrew asks.
Mauricio and his wife spring into action. While Mauricio drives back over to pick up the family, his wife prepares the basement to host them. Mauricio and his wife have immigrated from Colombia. They have worked hard in America and live in a nice neighborhood. They are providing shelter to neighbors whom they didn’t know, who can hardly believe such hospitality exists.
It is early Friday morning, before everyone is settled in to rest from this traumatic day.
At 7:30 am on Friday morning, Mauricio goes to work at Purple Crow, where he leads a sales team. During the day, he sends reassuring texts to Andrew that his family is welcome to stay as long as they need to while they sort things out. A house fire is not quickly fixed. Figuring out next steps takes time. Having a safe space to process is critical.
During the day on Friday, Andrew’s family begins to take the first of many next steps. They get a rental car and secure an Airbnb. By 7 pm, they are ready to leave their temporary shelter.
Mauricio wishes them well, but his compassion is still stirred. He wants to see if he can help further. His love for his neighbor is only growing. He talks to his trusted colleagues, and an impromptu ‘love offering’ is collected. His generosity is infectious, and they ultimately collect $900 for Andrew’s family. These neighbors-turned-loved ones ask who does this type of thing?
The articulation of what Mauricio knows in his gut: When help is freely given and gratefully received, help brings hope.
Do these text exchanges make you feel hopeful?
When I spoke to Mauricio about the fire, about a week and a half had passed since the event. He was able to reflect a bit about the experience. Things had dawned on him since then. This past Saturday, when he was out planting in his garden, getting ready for spring, he realized how quiet it was in his yard. He realized that the family of five with the dog, those people who lived in the house behind his, weren’t home. He knows it will be a long time before the home repairs can be made and the house is move-in ready. He’s glad to know Andrew and his family and looks forward to their return because his love for them has grown.
Mauricio and his family’s faith, hope, and love worked together to help their neighbors, echoing 1 Corinthians 13:13. I am so glad we have helpers like Mauricio in our crowmunity.