Nick's Godly Example
Looking at Nick’s beautiful face with his bright, expansive smile, it’s difficult to determine his ethnicity. Nick expressed this to me once: “People can’t tell what I am; and no matter what kind they think I am, it’s always the kind they don’t like.”
He shook his head with a wry grin, “[They ask me:] Are you Mexican? I hate Mexicans. Are you Chinese? I hate Chinese people. Are you Indian? I hate Indians.”
Well, Nick was the kind that I like: a good friend, a loving father, a faithful husband, and a devoted follower of Christ.
No matter how people felt about Nick, Nick always loved and cared about people. The more his health deteriorated, the wider his arms became, embracing more and more people, to demonstrate the love of God for them.
In his situation, I think I my circle would shrink, and I would want to say, “Only these few people, and no more.” But Nick didn’t do that. It is this influence that he leaves with me. Today, I am healthy. Today I have the most energy I will ever have, so today I have no excuse. I don’t have the right to say, “Only these few people and no more.”
As I watched Nick open his arms wider, I began to follow his example to try to embrace and love an ever expanding circle of people.