Bob's message...

I want to share a message I received from someone I care about deeply. I asked his permission to share this message and his exact words were..."do as you are lead. No problem here. God bless, bob".

Bob is a fellow I've referenced in the past. As I recall, Bob spent 14 years counseling others on addictions and those sorts of things. How then does he fall victim to the very things he is led to counsel others about? Don't know. It can be a wicked world. Anyway, Bob is one of the first guys we met in "The Office". Again, he was going to show us the ropes of the homeless shelter. He was going to take a couple of us under his wing and guide us through a night in his world. Bob left for Des Moines a couple of weeks ago with his buddy Al. I miss Bob and Al, because they were put in our paths for a reason. A wise friend once told me that if someone comes into your life and it is easy to see them go, you've invested nothing. If they leave and it hurts, you've made an emotional investment. Seems simple enough. It hurt to see Bob go. The last time I saw Bob was outside of the "dayhouse". The W. Dale Clark Public Library here in downtown Omaha. Right across the street from where we meet on Sundays. I mentioned in one of my last blogs that I saw Bob on that last Sunday grabbing a bite to eat and then later I looked around and he was gone. I even mentioned to him that I wanted to chat with him. But I looked around and no Bob. He later told me that was premeditated. He had made some choices, bad ones, and didn't want to talk about them?

The following week was pretty crazy. My uncle passed away on Monday. Death stinks. I know that sounds ridiculous and maybe I should rephrase that... Anyway, we were dealing with lots of "stuff" that week. But I got a message from Bob about that same time that he was thinking of leaving. Had a plan. He was going to Des Moines to get a fresh start. Wanted to know if we could help him. Well sure...that's part of what it is all about for us. It's one part of our mission, I believe. Helping. Doing something that we weren't doing just 5 or so months ago. Can we help Bob and Al get to Des Moines? Sure. Do I want to see him go? Absolutely not. The one thing I've learned in the few short months that we've been blessed in this mission - people come and go. A few weeks will go by and I realize that I haven't seen a certain individual? Where is he or she? Are they ok? Emotional investments.

So back to Bob. As my crappy week progressed, we exchange messages through myspace. Again, what a beautiful world we live in. Bob is not only my friend, he is a friend on myspace. What's next? So as we exchange messages throughout the week, it becomes clear to me that Bob is going. Not going to stick around here anymore. Des Moines offers hope and a new start. Can we help him get there? A bus ticket to Des Moines costs 28 dollars. 28 bucks. The cost for Al and Bob to get to Des Moines therefore, $56. You may recall, God blessed us with the funds to get a fellow named Alan to Des Moines a few months ago. A new start for Alan. The cost of a movie with my wife. And a big bucket of that great buttered popcorn. Alan still calls on occasion. Says he's doing great. I don't know what that actually means. It is, after all, relative. But he takes the time to call and let us know he is doing ok.

I met Bob on Friday of that week and we made arrangements to get a couple of bus tickets to the great city of Des Moines, Iowa. I asked Bob to call and let me know that he made it ok. He was scheduled to arrive via Greyhound at about 11:30 a.m. that Saturday morning. We were actually in Vail, Iowa on that day. My uncle's funeral. The funeral was at 10:00 a.m. As we were leaving the funeral and going to the cemetery, I couldn't help but think of Bob. Did he make it? Were they going to be ok? Of course they would. These guys know how to manage their way through the streets. So Bob sends me a message later that day that they made it and he would keep me posted on their activities. He has. We have exchanged messages almost everyday since they left. The following is one of the latest messages I've received in his exact words...

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The clinic van driver gave me aride to get my meds yesterday. He is a called preacher who doesnt preach anymore. He is Baptist. He dropped me off and I got my stuff and began to think. Well, he picked me up to take me downtown and I told him I believed once called- then your called and that maybe driving this clinic van and seeing all kinds of people each day is his ministry. I told him that Christs message in my mind is all love and service. That is what we are to do. He has the perfect opportunity to service every day and share the message of love. I think with the message of love first, human to human then folks maybe more open to hearing about Jesus, sin , death - etc. But without a relationship to start from-- maybe they just shut ya down and right ya off as another religous nut or fanatic. I dont know, just some thoughts.

Rain has stopped here. slept under overpass again. Hopefully tent here today. Al is getting it from family. Had another camp fire last night and it is very beautiful. I love the smell of wood smoke. Today I will check the mail for my food stamp card.

I will let my meds build up to optimum levels and then decide what I want to do here. It take about 30 days to get a load dose in. I feel normal then. How are you doing with the 14/douglas church? How is the family? And of course I will pray for you and the group.
Later
bob
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The thing that really stood out to me? This line from Bob - "I told him that Christs message in my mind is all love and service." Go back and re-read Bob's message. Love and service! Love first...then action, maybe through deeds, maybe through words and then delivering the message of greatest news we'll ever know. Our goal from the very beginning was to go and simply love right on that corner. Unconditionally. Get to know our new friends. I mean really get to know them. Go deep when the time is right. You can't do that from the beginning. It's a marathon. Not a sprint. Only after months, maybe years in some cases, of cultivating the relationships, can we go to that next and deeper level. As Bob said, without a relationship to start from, you have nothing. Brokenness. Emptiness. Despair.

Those things still exist. It is so complex. It will take forever and a day for us to get our heads around the complexities of these lives that we are now intertwined with. But we can slowly begin to show these great people that we are so blessed to fellowship with that there is greatness waiting for them. It is a long, uphill road. For us and for them. They've been beaten up in so many ways. So, too, have I. They've been told that they are lost and have no hope. So too had I. They need to be told that they are amazing creations of God and that he loves them. More than they could ever know. We try to be intentional and tell them that at every opportunity. Our only hope is that they eventually hear the message. I know they see it in action every week. I can't wait for the light to go on in an otherwise dark world. The light that says I do understand why you crazy people load that green van and bring God's provisions every week. The light that says we are here because God intended for these things to unfold every single Sunday. The light that was lit months ago for the sole purpose of love and service. To God. To God's amazing creations.

God lit a fire under us a few months ago. That fire burns every Sunday at 14th and Douglas Streets. The fire seems to get bigger every week. The burning desire to do more. To help more. To love more. To reach the lost and simply say...we love you, and by doing that, hopefully they will see the love of God burning in all of us.

"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:15, 16).

I'll stop here. I pray for all of our friends in this mission. On both sides of the equation. We all need it. There is much to do and many to love. I thank Bob for his great words of wisdom. I love Bob. His words could not have come at a better time. They came in His time. Must remember it all happens in His time...

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

..."it matters to that one"... :)