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| Felix Ariel Hernandez Medrano April 3, 1994 - November 10, 2013 |
It's been one year since Felix Ariel was taken from us prematurely. Someone, who may never pay the price, chose to cut his life short. Choices. They change everything. I think often of the choices that were made in the life...and death of Felix Ariel. The choice of God to create his life. The choice of his biological parents to not care for him as they should or maybe the lack of choices that prevented them from caring for him. The choice of someone to rescue him and bring him to Faith Home. The choices made within the loving, caring, safe environment of Faith Home, that helped to develop who he would become. His own choices that affected his path that may have ultimately lead to his death. The choice of those who took his life. Choices. Millions of little choices made during the 19 years Felix Ariel was on this earth. His most important choice of all, only God knows. I know from our final conversation that Ariel was making choices to try to better his life and I feel that Christ was in the center of those choices.
The death of Ariel marked the awakening of the children of Faith Home. The realization that they are not invincible. The reality of life outside the gates. The depth of our sorrow and tears that night was earth shaking, as we huddled together with the children trying to control our own tremors and tears long enough to comfort others. Days of darkness have followed mixed with moments of joy as the next generation continues to grow and mature and make their own choices. A year later we still wrestle over choices. The choices we must make every day that ultimately affect he lives of the Faith Home children and help guide them to make the best choices of their own.
My prayer continues to be that the life of Felix Ariel will count for something. God did not rescue him from the streets only to return and die there without a purpose for his existence. The choice is ours. We must choose to remember. To remember the life of Ariel. To remember his smile and the joy he brought to the lives of others. To remember to make the best choices we can with the lives that we have been entrusted with. May God's Glory be shown through each and every life we have the opportunity to touch and may God always be in the center of all of our choices.
The death of Ariel marked the awakening of the children of Faith Home. The realization that they are not invincible. The reality of life outside the gates. The depth of our sorrow and tears that night was earth shaking, as we huddled together with the children trying to control our own tremors and tears long enough to comfort others. Days of darkness have followed mixed with moments of joy as the next generation continues to grow and mature and make their own choices. A year later we still wrestle over choices. The choices we must make every day that ultimately affect he lives of the Faith Home children and help guide them to make the best choices of their own.
My prayer continues to be that the life of Felix Ariel will count for something. God did not rescue him from the streets only to return and die there without a purpose for his existence. The choice is ours. We must choose to remember. To remember the life of Ariel. To remember his smile and the joy he brought to the lives of others. To remember to make the best choices we can with the lives that we have been entrusted with. May God's Glory be shown through each and every life we have the opportunity to touch and may God always be in the center of all of our choices.
