What exactly does it mean when a doctor says that word? The word that means you may suddenly have an end date? The word that tells you you'd better get your affairs in order? The word that screams finality. Over. End Game. What does that mean? I had a little scare recently. This is not necessarily about me, but it offered a little perspective. I lost my oldest sister to breast cancer in 1998. One of the most horrible times...no, absolutely the most horrible experience I've ever been through. And it wasn't about me! Here she was going through one of the most excruciating times a person could experience and I was in a horrible place. But through her experience, I grew so much closer to God. A few weeks ago, I started experiencing stomach pains and strange cramps. Well, everyone in my family had just gone through a bout of the stomach flu, so I thought it was simply my turn. It was Christian's 13th birthday to boot. I had planned on taking the day off from work, going out with him to play a round of golf in the morning and going to the new Spiderman movie that afternoon. None of that happened. I was stuck in a recliner the whole day. Never experienced any of the normal effects of the stomach flu, but I was in pain. After a day or so, I went to the health clinic here at work. Thinking it was a gall bladder or appendix or something of that nature, I figured it would be best if I had it checked out. The doc here at work thought a CT scan would be the best way to determine the nature of the problem. So off I go to a medical center here in town and get the CT scan done. Now I haven't met my deductible yet this year, so I knew this was going to be expensive. Well, as luck would have it, the "first" CT scan was inconclusive. Imagine that. So I'm referred on to another doc. Internal guy. I meet him in his office the next day. He says he's not thinking gall bladder or appendix at all. Probably a small bowel blockage. This is when it starts to get interesting. Now Robin and the kids are in Kansas City. I was supposed to be there with them, but in light of my "issues", I told them to go on without me. So here I am in the doc's office, alone and I hear this from my friend the doc - "well, what I think we have here is some sort of small bowel blockage. I'll be honest with you Dave, it's very rare that I see something like this, it's usually cancer and we usually find it too late". His words. Well doc, aren't you just a flippin' bucket of sunshine. So he orders yet another CT scan. This time with the old barium drink treatment to illuminate the bowel area. So I head off to drink a what seems like a gallon of the barium drink and get the second scan. Lots of things go though your mind when you hear that "C" word. Lots. So I get the second scan and the technician tells me that I probably won't hear back from them until Monday or so of the next week. Wait a minute technician dude. It's Friday. My wife and kids are down in KC, I'm here in Omaha alone and you're telling me I have to sit on this all weekend? C'mon man! So anyway I go home and have a bowl of cereal. Yep, a big old bowl of sweet sugar cereal. I don't know.... Anyway, the old mind is playing lots of games with me. I sit in my kitchen for what seems like a couple of hours and the phone rings. It's the doc's receptionist calling. He told me they'd get back to me that afternoon, but you know how that goes. One office tells you one thing, the other office tells you something completely different. So it's the doc's office calling back. Well, Mr. Laney, after 2 CT scans and a 50 gallon drum of a fine flavored barium drink, it looks like you are going to be ok. Turns out you just have a viral infection in the small bowel. If you'd have waited a couple more days, you wouldn't be out the thousands of dollars and the mental strain we just put you through. Oh well. The point is, for a short period of time, I had to go there. Had to let my mind wander to that place. OK, we have plenty of life insurance? Check. Robin and the kids won't be showing up on 14th and Douglas on Sundays at noon looking for lunch. Do I have my spiritual house in order? Check. I mean to the extent that we can know that one, I do believe I'm good to go in that arena. I hope so anyway. I pray that I am. So, relieved, I call Robin and let her know it was a false alarm. You, my dear Robin, are stuck with me. At least for now.
Yesterday something happened that made me wonder how a homeless guy deals with this sort of thing? First, something really cool. As we finished setting up, and I head around to give thanks for the incredible blessings from God, a big fellow stopped me. His name? I don't know for sure. He goes by L.A. He's a big African American fellow and when I say big, I mean about 6'3 or so and probably well over 250 pounds. One big dude. So he stops me and asks me if I want him to pray for the meal? Yeah. That would be way cool. Way cool. I stand by his side. Had to be a comedy waiting to happen if there ever was one. What an unlikely prayer duo. Big giant of a man standing next to me. All 5' 6'' of me on my best day. So he bellows, and I mean in a booming, bellowing voice, directs everyone to remove their hats and offers thanks to God for the day's fellowship. Now to put things in perspective, that is usually one of the things I look forward to. After the hustle and bustle of the morning, I always look forward to that moment when everything almost comes to a complete stop and we are allowed to go to God in prayer for all the wickedly cool things he has done throughout the week and to that point. So, I didn't really want to give that up, but this was a no brainer. If L.A. wants to pray, L.A. is going to pray. I mean, he's a big dude first of all. What am I going to say - NO?! But seriously, this was a minor breakthrough of sorts for me. We want to be very intentional about why we are there. I think at this point we've accomplished this. These guys all know why we come. Now L.A. has only been coming around for a few weeks, but he knows. So he leads us in prayer and I'm smiling the whole time. These guys are starting to give back in all sorts of ways, serving, helping unload and load the van, but this is the coolest for me. Thanks be to God and thank you L.A.!
So after we start serving I look at the line of folks waiting. I swear it gets longer every single week. Because I try to stay out of the way while the ladies begin serving lunch, I figure it's a good time for me to do some glad handing and schmoozing. It is so hard to remember all the names, but this provides me an opportunity to take a moment and just real briefly chat with all the people in line. Now here's one of the dilemmas for me. Ask a homeless guy how his week was? Ya better be prepared for whatever comes your way. Anyway, it gives me an opportunity to try to remember names. You would not believe how a some of these guy's eyes light up when you greet them by name. Something that simple. I met a young guy yesterday from Hawaii. His name? Here goes - Akialoha. I know I butchered the spelling, but that's not the point. How does a young Hawaiian guy end up homeless in Omaha, Nebraska? They aren't nameless, faceless people. They all have a story and I want to know every one of them. So as I'm schmoozing like a politician in the line, because Robin always tells me I'd make a good politician, I notice the beginnings of a scuffle breaking out in the line. I immediately head to the hot spot and defuse, because that's what a good politician does, right? You know the cool thing about what happened? As soon as the alleged "instigator", Joe, saw me, he apologized. Said if I hadn't stepped in... Well the reason that is so cool to me? It tells me that we've built a level of trust and confidence within the relationships down there that is becoming stronger and stronger. He could have caused a real ugly scene. I'm not naive enough to think that it won't happen. Summer is here. Getting hotter. Tempers will flare. Alcohol is always a factor. But not this time. God had my back. Situation defused. And a sweet lady named Daisy told Joe, in a none too stern way, he couldn't act like that and use that kind of language because kids were around. My kids. And he apologized yet again. And said he needed to talk to me. I said let's go. We walked away from the crowd and I grabbed him by the shoulders as I faced him to try to calm him down some. He's not much bigger than me. I couldn't have done this with a guy like L.A. :) So as I have my hands on his shoulders and I'm trying to calm him down, and understand it's noon on Sunday and he's already been drinking, I notice a huge, golf ball sized knot on his arm, just next to his armpit. What is that, Joe? What in the world is this thing on your arm? In Joe's words..."It's Cancer Dave. I'm terminal". Terminal. Life ending. Game over? Whoa.
So he proceeds to tell me that they've stopped treatments. Tells me that they've told him there's nothing more they can do for him. This guy is a veteran. Former United States Marine! Now, terminal. Game over. So I ask him, pointedly. What is your spiritual life like? What's in your heart Joe? He tells me he's going home to be with his Father. His Father. Whoa. Now, understand, this guy is living in a shelter, has no hopes for a better life, has 3 grown daughters that he's not in contact with and in fact, they don't even know he is sick. What must be going on in his mind? I can certainly see how a guy would absolutely give up in these circumstances. Going home to his Father? Man. So, immediately I ask him if we can pray. Right then and there. What can I pray for? Peace? Comfort? Love? Grace? Healing? Yes. All the above. So we embrace right there. I mean a real manly embrace. Now, like I said, Joe's been drinking. I can't say for sure that given the circumstances, I wouldn't do the same. So as we prayed, I felt a myriad of emotions. God, will you heal him? Will you offer him comfort? I know God does amazing things. We see it all the time. Miracles happen always. The fact that we are on that corner is a miracle. The fact that we are able to serve God's people every single Sunday is a miracle to me. I see small miracles happen every single week in ways that I'm unable to comprehend. I know that whatever God's will is for Joe, the miracles are already happening. Pray for Joe. Please?
Something else happened yesterday that spoke volumes to what we are doing. We got our first "neighborhood" complaint. You see, Omaha is in the middle of a downtown revitalization project. Lots of former office buildings are being converted into condos. Lots of new people are moving in downtown. One guy stopped by yesterday to basically tell us of his disapproval of our activities. Didn't appreciate that fact that we were doing this thing right here in a downtown park. Wanted to know why we didn't pack "them" up in vans and take them to a park or church in our own neighborhood? Well, first of all, this is our church. And secondly, because this is where these guys are. He didn't appreciate the fact that we "allowed" these guys to congregate en masse like this because he didn't want his kids to see it. Didn't want his kids to see what?!! The love of Christ???!! He told me in one breath that he was a Christian, but yet this was unacceptable? I don't get it? What in the world is this guy talking about. We shouldn't help those that are less fortunate? We shouldn't meet these guys where they are and show them the love of Christ in a huge way?! Whatever. Wouldn't surprise me to be confronted by a city official soon. Whatever. We'll keep doing what we're doing. We have too. A guy like L.A. demands it. Joe needs us. And there are lots of Joes.
Next Sunday, Robin, the kids, and I will be in Peosta, Iowa for a family reunion. Peosta, Iowa! I seriously can't wait. I have come to understand the importance of family lately. My blood family. My downtown family. We're all part of God's family. We the kiddos. He, the Father. When a guy like Joe tells me he's going home to his Father...what more can I say. So we won't go downtown next weekend. But we have people to fill in the gaps. God has provided so much. As we know He does. He is amazing and I love Him with all my heart. My only wish? That the first thing I thought of when I heard a doctor mention the "c" word to me was that I would have thought of going home to my Father. I mean, the thought crossed my mind. But my mind was racing with stuff. Today though? I'm praying for Joe. And all the fine folks that show up on Sundays. And for the downtown neighborhood. So that they will see the importance of God's work there on Sundays. And if I could ask? If you are reading this and made it this far, could you pray for us? For our continued safety amid all the craziness that goes hand in hand with homelessness. For the Spirit to always lead us. And simply that God will continue to provide, as He is apt to do.
By the way, I listened to an awesome podcast last night at ucfellowship.org. Our church in Charlotte. The best thing that ever happened to my family was our time at UCF. If you get a minute, listen to the podcast on their website titled "6/10/2007 Playlist 1 - Boston - Wanna Get Away?". If you are reading this and were at church there yesterday, you know the deal. Even though we are exactly 1178.40 miles from our church in Charlotte, we are in. Fully in. I love UCF and all that it is about and I only wish there were a UCF-Omaha! God bless you guys at UCF and everything you do. You are one amazing community and we miss you guys more than you'll ever know.
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
..."it matters to that one"... :)
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