A couple of weeks ago I shared with you the story of Arcadio, the bedridden Colombian man I met a few years ago on a mission trip. I described the genuine joy and contentment he exuded and the lessons he taught me. I was recently in Colombia again and had the opportunity to spend more time with Arcadio.

As we drove down the familiar dirt road to Arcadio’s home, I could feel the excitement building in me. I have such profound admiration for this man. You could say he is a real-life superhero to me.

With me on this visit was my friend Tyler. (Side-note, Tyler is the mastermind behind this website. You wouldn’t be reading this if it wasn’t for his amazing expertise! You’ll hear more from him in a bit.) As we entered the home, we were greeted by Arcadio’s wife. We walked through the kitchen and there was Arcadio lying on his bed. Immediately, I was struck by his smile. The same smile I remembered. It was as if it had never left his face.

Arcadio is 91 years old now. His memory isn’t quite what it used to be, or at least that’s the excuse I told myself when he didn’t remember me from my last visit. Despite him not remembering me, he was still kind and welcoming. In addition, he was willing and eager to share wisdom learned from his 91 years of life experience. And I was more than willing to receive it. Now, I would like to share some of it with you.

Courage.
Arcadio told us a story of a group of men that threatened his life for talking about Jesus. He was so committed to his convictions he raised his arms and said to them, “Kill me now because I won’t stop talking.”

I thought to myself, “Do I hold my convictions this strong? Could I muster this kind of courage to stand up for what I believe in if I were faced with a similar ultimatum?” This type of self-evaluation is important. What do we stand for? As the old adage says, if you aren’t standing for something, then you’ll fall for anything.

Serving.
On another occasion, he was trying to share his faith with a group of men that were alcoholics.  Each day they would climb a high hill to drink beer and party. They banned him from joining them because he would continually “talk about that Jesus guy.”

Arcadio’s response was so incredible. He agreed to not talk about Jesus and instead offered to carry their beer up the hill. His motivation was to show them love and serve them in whatever way he could. He wanted to create relationship and build rapport in hopes to one day win the right to talk them more about “that Jesus guy.”

The power of a smile.
Anyone that meets Arcadio would immediately notice his smile. This visit, he shared with me the meaning behind it. He said, “No one will ever see me with a bad look on my face. They will only see joy and happiness. God has done too much for me and means too much to me to represent Him any other way.”

Wow! I was speechless. Eyes full of tears. Arcadio smiles on purpose. It is his response to what God has done for Him. In his view, all that he does is a representation of the God he serves and loves. And he chooses to intentionally represent him well…. even in his smile.

I could have sat and listened to him for hours. His words, even through a translator, were poignant and impactful. Simply being in his presence left me in awe. To say he is a special man doesn’t suffice to describe him. To show it wasn’t just me that was enamored by his story and countenance, I would like to share with you Tyler’s thoughts about him:

“I’ve never felt the joy of the Lord quite like I did in Arcadio’s home. For someone who has faced such hardship and pain to be filled with such laughter and smiling and pure joy…that left me in awe. There’s really no words to accurately portray the way God is so present in his life and heart. He is inspiring. He inspired me. And I’m so glad I got the chance to meet him.” – Tyler Simmons

 I look forward to my next opportunity to visit Arcadio and glean from his wisdom. When I told him I would visit again, he responded with a twinkle in his eye, “You better hurry!”

Arcadio, whether it be on this side of heaven or the other, we will meet again. I know your legacy will continue here on earth and be eternalized in heaven. Without doubt, your legacy matters.