Finding Laughter In Difficult Times

As our son grew our growing daughter didn’t want to stay behind.  My parents bought them a set of bunk beds.  Our son slept on top so we took the crib apart and used the side rails to close in the sides of the bottom bunk for our daughter since sleeping in the crib was out of the question for her.  She managed to get out all the time.  She’d also climb halfway up the bed ladder and then cry for help.  We’d toss her back in bed and she’d do it over and over. We even sealed the entire bed like a small child prison and placed her on a mat.  Next morning, she was still on her mat but she had slid under one of the ladder rungs and landed intact on the floor!  Would she grow up to be an escape artist?  Only God knew.  For now we were glad to know they were both growing and she’d soon be out of her prison.

Jesus came to set captives at liberty; to give them deliverance.  Are you free today?  If you haven’t rendered or surrendered your life to Him, you’re not free.  Complete freedom comes with giving our very selves to Him.  All prison chains fall off.  What types of chains, you ask?  Chains of blame; of blaming others for all that’s wrong in your life or all that’s befallen you.  There are chains of anger, chains of hate, chains of indifference to others or to their needs.  Maybe you have chains of irresponsibility.  We all need to take credit for what we’ve done, or haven’t done.  Once set free, we become escape artists (from Satan’s grip).  We can then climb the ladder of spiritual growth that leads to the Father.  Leave your prison today!  Bask in the comfort and promises of God’s words of hope.  Read the words of Isaiah, chapter 61, verses 1-3: “The Spirit (Ruach) of the Lord is upon me: because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD (Yaweh), and the day of vengeance of our God (Elohim); to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD (Yaweh), that he might be glorified.”

We were living at our Bushwick Ave. apartment for three years before applying for housing.  Although my wife had taken a photograph of a huge dead rat that had died in our one-and-only half bath, and our son had been playing with it, we believed God to be in control of everything; even the rat.  Would you like to see the picture??  I’m dying to post it!!!  Wife won’t let me 🙁 We referred to our bathroom as a half bath because one half was on one side of the kitchen holding the tub and vanity, and right across the room was a small closet housing the toilet…strange!

We were interested in new housing units being built near our place. At a meeting for new potential homeowners, we were told we ‘might’ get in to the system.   We were also informed that there were at least a thousand families ahead of us.  However, we knew God could work through that list & move us ahead.  Immediately, faith kicked in: since I worked at a warehouse, I began taking home unwanted, empty boxes and began packing for our journey to the promised land.  As we awaited our exodus, we continued our plight.

It was freezing in our unit!  My next-door neighbor and best friend, Ray, thought it strange that we would call the heating hotline number to report the landlord.  After all, we were Christians.  I told him, “Then the landlord should be behaving like one.”  Ray believed we needed to be good Christians and endure the pain, suffering, and the freezing.   We didn’t share those beliefs.                   We really needed a ticket out of there. Part of that ticket would be God’s answer to prayer; the other part was on its way in the form of another child!     Life goes on…another lesson in patience.  Psalm 40:1 reads: “I waited patiently for the LORD (Yaweh); and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” Amen!

At my old job, the workers kidded that we were hidden in the basement; kept away from the public.  Above us was a showroom of highly expensive decorating fabrics where customers went and requested samples or clippings of fabrics that ‘tickled their fancy.’  Sometimes they placed their orders on the spot.  Meanwhile, we had to climb on ladders or go up shelving that were over ten feet high to fulfill orders.  It was a lot of work, especially when other workers would hide so as not to do their share.  When large orders arrived of 3-5 pages long, some workers decided it was time for their 15 min. break, leaving the load on others.

We always felt the manager was one with a whip chasing us up & down the aisles and shelves to hurry up and get our work done.  There was definitely no preferential treatment there.  We’d hope some ‘big shot’ in the showroom would come down and see who really did all the dirty work.   Never happened

We had a guy, Pete, who memorized almost every single piece of fabric we housed. Each piece had a five-digit number.  If we’d say, I need number 12395, he’d be able to tell you how many were in the same line, what colors they came in, their price, and how many inches before the pattern repeated itself again, etc.  What’s more amazing is that a few years down the line, a larger company merged their line with ours, bringing in 10,000 to 15,000 new fabrics and within weeks, Pete was memorizing them all!

Being out of the spotlight also meant getting paid as if living in the dark.  After paying our tithes and our bills, I’d stay with $2.00 for the next two weeks.  Having to get along with three kids and a wife wasn’t easy with two bucks.  To save (!), I’d ride my bike about 12 miles to work from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  I’d cross the Pulaski Bridge and then the 59^th St. bridge-even in frigid weather.  For lunch, since Pete only had a sip of his soda and threw out the rest, I’d ask for some before he drank.  I’d pour some into a cup and have it with some snack.  I felt as if I had a hole in both pockets.  But Jehovah Jireh, our provider, always came through.  I remember we had had a grand total of $157.00 stashed in our bank account for years.  I believe it went down to about $8.00 and we never looked at it cause we knew it couldn’t help us pay for anything basic.  I’m thankful to God I had a happy and understanding wife and three young kids for whom riches meant dad coming home, and that’s all that mattered.  I’d enter the door and one would grab me on the left leg, the other on my right leg, and the youngest I’d pick up.  I’d walk like Frankenstein pulling along two twerps and carrying a munchkin.

Where are your riches?  Although ‘Money answers all things’ (Eccl. 10:19), true treasures are to be established in heaven so that when this world is over, or we go to Him, we’ll have treasures to ‘bank’ on (Matt. 6:20).  Our prayers are deposited in heaven, our good deeds (because of our salvation), will be acknowledged by God.  Together, they form our bank accounts.

As the apostle Paul said, “I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound in all things; I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12).  Not having money meant no need to worry on overspending when shopping since we simply didn’t shop except for groceries.  The one thing there was always an abundance of was laughter in our home. If you have the chance someday, read the great poem Laughter In the  Walls by Bob Benson.  It has definitely enriched our lives and has shown a truth relative to happy lives within happy walls.

Now that the storm of all storms is over, we can head back to ‘the ranch’ and to our stories about our growing family and our hectic lives in Bushwick.  But wait!!!

I’d first like to revisit an in-between- event.  Before sharing how God led us to the promised land, this date, October 27, 1984, was very special, and sad too.  It was fall and my parents had finally decided to move back to their homeland, Puerto Rico.  On this date, we drove them and my youngest brother to the airport.  We had always been together as a family and they were crazy about our kids ages 4,  2, and, 10 months.

My dad also left behind all seven of his sons and their families.  According to my mom he didn’t say one single word during the entire flight.  My parents had been living in New York for 29 years.  Now retired, my father was tired of the cold weather outside as well as inside.  There was hardly ever heat or hot water, so we agreed they should leave.

Though it was a good idea, it was now a sad and lonely time for us.  We missed them and they missed us. The kids wanted to see them, which of course, made it hard on us to explain.

A month before they left I had stayed without a job.  All five of us were home together while we waited on God and pursued Him for our future, which at the time, was pretty bleak.  God, however, was our ‘Very present help in (times) of trouble’ Psalm 46:1.  What happened next, is another chapter in our lives! Tune in for the great adventures of Sam & Viv’s family !

We felt sorry for the cops having to work ten to twelve-hour shifts standing in the sun directing traffic. Their chiefs/captains wouldn’t bring them water or food.  What food and drinks they received was provided by passing motorists who would stop to hand them water bottles, burgers, and chicken, etc.  God was providing for their needs

The government received seven million dollars for those cops for their ‘beyond duty’ work, but the money ‘disappeared’ before anyone saw it. That caused all the cops to go on strike and not show up to work for several months. We agreed with their decision; however, that meant no one manning the traffic lights, or fighting crime, which of course, was on the rise.  Driving during this period of time was the worst ever.

As we contemplate on what befell us, we really did pull together.  For one thing, our spiritual lives suffered due to the loss of our church-rented site; our pastors went to the states for some months, listening to encouraging messages or music was impossible with only one radio station in operation and only sharing news updates, etc. We ended up reaching out to our ex-pastor’s wife, Donna, (from N.Y.) who now lives in Florida. She would send encouraging thoughts & prayers via email. We would read devotionals and try to encourage each other.

On the streets and in neighborhoods, people continued pooling together cleaning their trash, removing debris, and doing just about everything that the government and town majors wouldn’t touch with “a ten-foot pole.” This enabled us to see how a tiny mustard seed was sprouting into a huge tree. Working together showed us the bright side and victory over the devastation Satan thought to utterly cover us all with.

One incident that affected us greatly, occurred early one very dark morning.  While driving my wife to meet up with a coworker, we wound up literally rear-ending a huge, brown cow that suddenly appeared right in front of us!  Thankfully, we didn’t get hurt, but were shaken up.  It would be months before we could laugh at that incident.

Yes, the blanket of gloom was being lifted in town after town.   On April 7^th, we received our electricity!  Seven tough months had passed since the storms, and although it would be more than two additional months before we’d move back home, I was now able to wash clothing & dry them at home as well as see any damages that we couldn’t see before.

Bottom line: life for us had been intensely difficult staying at someone else’s home for a full nine months plus not having power at our home for 219 days, 10 hours.

As June drew to a close, Viv was able to start her summer vacation and we moved home for a week. We then headed to Florida to see our kids!

Although we still need new roofs on our home and two other out buildings, the storm was finally over after nine months.  We could now get back to our ‘normal’ lives…our longest winter, like fallen snow, was finally fading away.

And so, we pray, ‘Thank you, Lord, for holding us near Your heart all these months. We never would have made it without You and Your help’.

January 2018

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily does beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

The new year would hold more blessings in disguise; unfortunately, trials too!

On one very dark morning I commented to my wife that the one light that was usually on near a food vendor, was out.  That was the only light in a three-mile stretch.  Three minutes after having said that, a mother who would accompany her daughter to school to keep her safe, was run-down.  Both were hit, but the mom died and the girl was in critical condition. I saw both bodies on the ground. So sad.

Maria continued to impact us; one of our dogs died and we lost our goat.  God has promised to be there for us and with us through the storms of life.

One of our dearest blessings and one that would bring us hope every week as well as keep us going, came in the form of pictures, videos, and phone calls. Whenever we would receive pictures of our granddaughter, Elianah, our lives were renewed. We anticipated going to Florida for the summer to see our kids and that was light at the end of the tunnel for us.

“Children’s children are the crown of old men…Proverbs 17:6.”

 

No more buckets of water to be emptied in our bedroom!

It was difficult to celebrate Christmas when so many people had died in relation to the storm.  Entire neighborhoods were still in the dark, and thousands had lost their jobs or homes.  There didn’t seem to be much to celebrate either.  This Christmas would be nothing like our other Christmases with a tree, lots of lights, decorations, etc… But Jesus reminded us why He was born: To give light to a darken world and to give us hope when living in despair; and so, we held on to that reminder and to his promises of better things to come, and did celebrate as best we could.  We had our grand-kids over for dinner and exchanged some gifts. We were experiencing the wonder of Christmas and unpacking God’s gift to us (His love and His Son, Jesus).

Milky/Andy, and Sarai had sent us a huge heavy box with lots of goodies for Viv and a beautiful leather, custom-made, burgundy, cowboy holster for me!!! We were little kids at heart again!  We were ever-so-grateful!

Whereas, we normally have three-four 22lb. for Thanksgiving with up to 45 guests, this Thanksgiving we ‘feasted’ on a Costco Rotisserie chicken with our son, his two boys, and mom.  It would be the first time in around twenty-five years that we didn’t hold a Thanksgiving meal for friends and family.  We were thankful for His protection and provisions and grateful for His care, but there were lots of tears of sadness for the inability to be home enjoying our meal with friends and loved ones.  In an act of unselfishness and thanksgiving, the small church received a trailer load of turkeys from the states and the members decided to give up their free time and bake ‘birds’ and served the meat with yellow rice for everyone in the neighborhood that day.

As the year was coming to an end, hardships were still lurking at every corner.  On December 7th, I lost my job of twenty years.  With only one vehicle, we now had to figure out a way for my wife to get to work and for me to go to the house to feed our pets, clean the house, and also keep an eye on the cabin.  Thankfully, she was able to go with a coworker and then I’d pick her up afternoons.

Hurricane Maria as well as working conditions at the job caused my wife to develop COPD-lots of coughing and allergies to various things. This contributed to  more stress on our lives.  On the plus side, my mom’s power was restored December 12 at 7p.m., after 83 days (almost 3 months)!  We were so excited!  We had seen the light!

 

 

 

 

 

 

About three weeks later, we received all our goods!  Milcah had kept in touch with a couple of her friends here who had endured the hurricane and knew of friends who were in need. So, we arranged to get the pallets.  We went in four vehicles and packed them up.  There was much rejoicing as everything was being unpacked.  Since stores were closed for food and medicine, even medications were sent to us.  We set aside items to be distributed as well as kept those marked for ‘Mami & Papi.’  That same day we handed out groceries to several families in my mom’s community, and in the next two days, to people in our neighborhood.

Our own town major, who immediately after the storm reported over the radio wave that she had visited our town and that everything was fine and that everyone was accounted for, did not distribute one single bottle of water or food by our cabin until exactly two months later!  On several occasions, my wife and I bought groceries with our own money and continued to donate to all twelve families in our community until the end of December.

Meanwhile, in my mother’s neighborhood, the small church that had planned on providing meals to everyone for a week, was given (by us) one fifty lb. sack of rice that the kids had sent from Fl. and since other people also gave them money, they were able to operate for an entire month!

A nearby bakery would open daily from 6 a.m.-noon or until the gas ran out on their generator. I’d go every other morning and buy 8-12 lbs. of locally freshly baked bread (Pan Sobao & Pan de Agua) and distribute them to our neighbors. We became known as “FEMA” to them, because we were present several times a week and actually gave them food, whereas it would be months before the agency would go around.  Knowing life was hard, we felt our neighbors faced a difficult time in the mountains where devastation was plentiful and help was nil. So, we decided to help out as best we could.

Since there were still lots of people that could not have hot meals, my wife and two coworkers began to make their own “Stone Soup!” From food items we received, and those of others, they’d each bring items to create meals for their friends.  With their potluck meals, several co-workers that had no electricity and couldn’t use their electric stoves, were now able to eat.  It was so funny, that when I shared this info with a friend in Fl. whom I haven’t seen in 43 years, she quickly wrote, “My mom and I love all types of soup, please have Vivian send me the recipe for Stone Soup.”  So, we did!  We found the story online and sent it! We all had a good laugh!

Feeling overwhelmed and saddened by the fact that we couldn’t return home to stay, the kind act of sending us help by hundreds of caring individuals, restored hope in us. It motivated us to also ‘pass it on.’ In the end, we’re reminded in Proverbs 22:9, “He who has a bountiful eye, shall be blessed: for he gives of his bread to the poor.”

 

Hurricane Maria, A Category 5 Storm

If a picture is worth a thousand words, tally up how we felt.