What an Amazing Mission!

November 12, 2006. I don't want to ever forget that date. Actually, October 29, 2006. That Sunday in October, Robin, Christian, Nicholas, Erin and myself sat in our van on the corner of 13th and Douglas. I knew that there was a group of homeless people who hung out in the park on 14th and Douglas, but I didn't think it would be right to sit on that corner in our van and be too obvious. Whatever that means. I have no idea what we were really thinking we could accomplish. And looking back, we were and are still very naive. That's probably a good thing. The thinking on that first Sunday was to show Robin that this was where we would begin. With His direction. Right across the street from my office building. I knew the need was there. We just needed to follow through and begin God's mission. I know I've been over these details before in various blogs, but it never ceases to amaze me just what God has us doing on that corner. And what is really amazing is the people who are getting involved on a weekly basis. I've mentioned before that there was a concern on my part about the numbers of people showing up to be fed, in whatever way, each Sunday. And I've mentioned a conversation I had with our great friend David, who told us that as growth happened, God would provide the necessary provisions and people to continue the mission. He certainly has provided. As He always does. For instance, that first Sunday was nothing more than a scouting mission. As we sat there a block away from the corner that would ultimately be our home each Sunday, Robin and I were discussing what it was we felt God leading us to do? The kids were offering their input and as I'm apt to do, thinking I have all the wisdom (right), I was really trying to determine what it was, in a physical sense, that we needed to do. I only remember one thing that any of my 3 kids offered that week. Some have heard this...others, maybe not. I'll simply never forget Nick and what he said that day. As Robin and I were discussing the situation, she was heavily stressing. Heavily. But Nick? No stress there man! Nick simply says, "Dad, I have some Cheerios I'll give the guys". What a thought. Here we are, and Robin especially trying to figure out how to save all "our guys" and Nick breaks it down in the simplest of ways. Here you go. I have something. They are hungry. Problem solved. Thanks Nick. What an amazing mission.

Well, God has really blessed us in the months that have passed. We've gone from a kid’s baggy of Cheerios, to a full Sunday spread every Sunday. Yesterday? I had a crazy thought as we got off of the interstate and headed into the downtown area. Yesterday's menu consisted of spaghetti. Robin made a big pot of spaghetti, probably enough to feed 50 people or so. So I start thinking, with the numbers of people continuing to grow every Sunday, what if no one else brought anything and we only had that one pot of spaghetti? And what if God, in all His Glory, allowed us to feed a couple of hundred people from that one pot? How amazing would that be? That is essentially what happens each week. He allows us to be His Hands and Feet and shine His light into an otherwise somewhat dim situation. It is indeed an amazing mission.

So yesterday's menu was spaghetti, of course bread and pastry from our great friends at Panera Bread, Jell-O with fruit, and cake. That's right. Cake. I was absolutely blown away by Shirley's multitude of cakes. I think she made 10 cakes. And if I understand it correctly, her young daughter Emily helped. Shirley works at Union Pacific. I don't know her, on a personal level. Yet. Only that she works at UP. Saw our "Help Wanted" ad and responded. It's so funny, because she told Robin she didn't cook? She's been coming down to help for a few weeks now, and all of a sudden yesterday she brings 10 cakes! But she told Robin she doesn't cook? Go figure? And these were fairly elaborately decorated cakes. Jell-O cakes. Chocolate cakes. All kinds of cakes. I saw guys with huge smiles and lots of cake flying around. What an amazing mission!

So then, I see my friend Rick. Rick is an original "Office Guy". He was in a world of hurt yesterday, as lots of these guys can be at times. Rick was in jail recently, got out and was actually living with his girlfriend, Romanita. I tell ya, it's like a soap opera at times. So anyway, Rick was sweating profusely, and was shaking pretty bad. I asked him what was going on and he proceeds to tell me that he's has a rough time as of late. Been hitting the bottle pretty hard. Having relationship troubles. And he was in a bad state of disrepair, if I can say that. Injured his ankle on the railroad tracks, ironically, and it was torn up pretty bad. No socks. Filthy clothing. Just in a bad way. So I get him a new shirt, some bandages, Neosporin and iodine for his ankle and some new socks. One of his buddies had a pair of jeans in his backpack, so between the 2 of us and of course God, we got Rick cleaned up and I got him a plate of food. He assured me he was going to straighten up and get it worked out, so I'll pray for that to happen. If you happen to think of it in your prayers, could you offer one up for Rick?

So back to the people who are some of the most amazing people I've ever met, aside from our friends at UCF in Charlotte. :) The people that have jumped in, just as God has directed, and are providing a glimpse of hope. Yesterday, as we began our activities, and as we prayed for the blessings that God provides weekly, I looked at the line and wondered if the guys in back could even hear me? In fact, one of our friends mentioned that I might need to invest in a bullhorn if the folks in the back wanted to take part in the prayer! And listen, my voice carries pretty well, so the end of the line went back a pretty good way. One of the single most amazing things that has happened within this ministry/church is the fact that God continues to provide from a single pot. All it took was for us to listen, to act and to follow His direction. And now? We have new people showing up every week to help because that's how God operates. And the cool thing is that when new people show up? They almost invariably bring new people the next week and often a fresh perspective. Here’s an email exchange I received just this morning from someone who has recently jumped in and started helping:

“Hey -
My daughter Tori really enjoyed herself yesterday helping to serve. I guess I should have asked if it was okay to bring her. She's a good helper.

I have some men's socks that I plan to bring with me on Sunday. About 20 pair. I also have a backpack and a couple of women tote bags. I am collecting blankets and gloves for this winter. I work with some people who want to know how to donate money to your program. Should I collect the donations and just give monetary funds to one of you?”

I won’t bore you with my reply, because among other things, I just asked her permission to use her email. But here’s the second of the two emails. Had me in tears of joy because of the simple, yet massive way God is humbling me in this mission:

“I read your blogs. They are very uplifting. The blogs remind me that I have been blessed with a good job, family and home, and there are many people who aren't. This gives me an opportunity to give back. People don't realize that there is a need out there to help one another. It's very interesting to talk with the people who we serve. Each story is unique. You and your family bring such goodness to the less fortunate. And they (the homeless) are very appreciative. I can't tell you how many times they tell me "thank you" for the hot, homemade meals, and I can tell that they truly mean it. The thank you comes from the bottom of their hearts. Anyway, feel free to us any text at all for your blogs. See ya Sunday, God Bless.”

Amazing…I so LOVE this mission!

And listen, maybe it isn’t for everyone. That's for sure. But it is truly an amazing journey. And I am so amazed that He continues to provide to us and for us. And if you really wanted to trace it back to His beginning for us, it all started with a bag o' Cheerios. From a nine year old boy who prays for "our guys" downtown almost every single night at our dinner table. We are so blessed. Beyond belief.

God has appointed us this amazing mission and I am blown away every single week by the events that take place. I could write volumes weekly on our activities. I mean volumes. Details that go forgotten. I wish I could keep track of them all. Like the guy who, yesterday, hands me a set of keys and a credit card case that he "found in a dumpster". They belong to a woman in Ames, Iowa. Here on business last week. Someone smashed her car window and took her purse. I'll send back what we have, but after talking to her yesterday, her checkbook and some of her credit cards are still missing. The point is, so much happens on that corner in a two hour span every Sunday that I could write so much more. Lucky for those who read this, I don't. :) I could though. And it basically all started with Nick's offer. Because that is how we should probably all look at it. Through the eyes of a child. When I begin to over analyze various situations, as I tend to do, I forget Who is in charge. Not Nick though. He knew that we simply needed to act. I have to remember that. And thank God for all the folks who have jumped in. I absolutely do not recognize this mission that He started all those months ago. It has grown into something that is a phenomenally bigger than I could ever have imagined. Imagine that. Me trying to box God in. I have no doubt that He has amazing things in store for us. Restoration. Salvation. God's blanket of grace is an amazing thing. We are truly so blessed. Thanks be to God!

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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

Happy Birthday Joe!

A couple different things struck me yesterday. I'll start off with Joe. Joe is a guy we've known for a while now. I'd guess Joe is about in his his late 40s/early 50s? I'm not real sure, but that'd be my guess. When we met Joe, he was living in a local shelter. Now? He's got his own place. There's not much to it, but it's his own place. We somehow helped Joe get a bed or a mattress and a dresser. The thing about Joe is he was a guy who absolutely could not hack living in the shelter. I can't blame him. I've seen the shelters, and for all the good they provide, they simply aren't a place that I could call home for any extended periods of time. So when we met Joe, he was living in the Sienna Francis House and trying to get a place of his own. He told me his story, and the details aren't really that important in the overall scheme of things. He's not originally from this area. I think he has foster parents in Grand Island, Nebraska. Now that in itself is a strange thing if you think about it. "Grand" Island? In the middle of Nebraska? So early on, we (God!) helped a guy get back to Seattle. I blogged about it. It was an interesting deal. Guy was stranded here, needed help getting home, and somehow, God provided. As He always does. Somewhat similar to last week. A couple was stranded here, needed to get back to San Francisco, and once again, God provided. As He always does. So Joe found out about our "travel agency" and asked if we couldn't get him a round trip ticket to Grand Island to "visit" his foster mother. She passed away, I think, sometime last year. Joe never got the opportunity to go and pay his last respects. As hard as it was, we had to break the news to Joe that we just don't have that kind of money lying around. In fact we had to tell Joe that we have no money lying around. So we weren't able to help him out there. I wish we could have and maybe someday, we'll still be able to. In His time.

So back to Joe and his needs. Joe's a guy that kind of lurks. By that, I mean as we are doing our thing on Sunday, doing this thing we call church, Joe is never far out of sight. He's always hanging around, and that's a good thing. It's always good to see Joe. So as the many provisions that we are blessed with come pouring out of the van on any given Sunday, Joe is there, checking it out. What's it going to be today? What have you people brought today? What Joe really seems to like are the grilled Paninis from Panera. We usually have a dozen or two of those at the end of the day and hand them out to whoever is lingering. Panera gives them to us on Saturday night, and they seem to be a nice snack for later on a Sunday afternoon. Or a Sunday meal, depending on your perspective. So that's one of the things that seems to keep Joe hanging around on a Sunday. It's funny, because usually around the end of the month, he calls Robin and asks for a pantry from Heart Ministry. I don't think he knows where it comes from, but he asks for one anyway. This month? He asked for one early. Called us last week and said he had no food left. What happened? How did he run out of food so early in the month? I'm not totally sure, but I think Joe gets by on Social Security and some other type of general assistance. But this month? Things got scarce early. So Robin picked up a bag of groceries at Heart, and I delivered them that day after work. The next day I get a call from Joe telling me we forgot his bread. You ever been to the grocery store, pay for your stuff, get home and realize that you either forgot something, or they didn't bag it for you? I guess that must have been what Joe felt like. Now this was probably Wednesday of last week. He has plenty of other stuff, but he was almost out of bread. The strange thing about his conversation with me? It was almost like we"owed" him a loaf of bread. And you know what? We probably did. We didn't forget. I just think it happened the way it happened. So I told him to make what he had last, and we'd get him all the bread he could stand on Sunday. The one thing I know these guys can get in droves is bread. Panera "Doughnations" are in abundance to the shelters always. We get ours every Saturday night. But that leaves six other nights, and many other stores. When we are finished with our church activities every Sunday, I take the remainder of our Saturday Panera Doughnation to the Francis House for their kitchen. Yesterday, as Christian and I were loading it out of the car on the back dock, I noticed a table set up with a tent. On the table? Loads of bread and stuff. I asked the fellow if they were having some sort of outing or something? Nope. That's for whoever comes by and needs a little bread. So I know these guys can get bread.

As I chatted in the line with Joe yesterday, that was one of his concerns. Me? I'm worried about the mortgage payment. Joe? Needs a loaf of bread. Perspective man! Perspective. So we bring a crate of sliced bread with us every week. Probably ten loafs or so. I told Joe whatever was left was his. He was already eyeing it. But as we talked, I tried to pry a little to see if he was drinking. How did he run out of food so early this month? Was he using his food stamps for brewskis? He said no. But didn't go into much detail. And I'm not his dad, so I didn't push it. But he told me he was going to get plastered on his birthday. Plastered. Coming from where I come from, I don't like to hear that about a guy. I ask him why? "Why not", he says. It's my birthday? Gonna get plastered. So I ask him what day is your birthday big Joe? August 8th. Cool. Nick's birthday is the 10th and Robin's is the 13th. We're going to have a birthday party right here on this corner. So Joe, when was the last time you had a birthday cake on your birthday? 1997. Did I hear that right? 1997? 10 years ago you had your last birthday cake? Why? Because you were homeless for a period of time? A simple thing like a birthday cake? 1997??!! Well, I've got to tell you. That's about to change Joe. I can't help you in the "getting plastered" department. In fact, I hope you re-think that one. But this year, you are going to get a birthday cake. You see, I read a book recently. It's called "Same Kind of Different as Me". About a homeless fellow and a couple who befriend him. In the book, the couple begins serving at the local homeless shelter, and they come up with the idea of doing a monthly birthday celebration for the homeless folks at the shelter. So it's not an original idea, but we're going to steal it and run with it. August 12th will be our first birthday celebration in the park. Anyone who has a birthday in the month of August will be honored. I need to find a great person to donate a big old sheet cake to our brothers and sisters who meet with us in our church. Anybody willing to make a cake for about 150? :) Anyone?

One other thing. There are people that show up every week late. We start serving pretty promptly at noon. That's always been our thing. Consistently at noon. It's probably one of the few things lots of these folks can be sure of. We've not missed a week in almost 9 months. God is so good and he provides everything we need every week. We may not have enough deodorant one week, and we usually don't, or we may not have foot powder or toothpaste, but we always have enough food. Always. If they get there at noon. Now the numbers have been growing. But so have the numbers of people helping out. Funny how He works that way. Robin was more than a little concerned yesterday, because she did not have a hand in the main course. Ham and beans over cornbread. Now she made lots of cornbread. But our friend Clark said he'd do the entire bucket o' ham and beans. Ended up making about 200 servings! You da man Clark! So early yesterday morning, ol' Pretty Eyes was a bit concerned. Now this is the same person who put me and my faith in my place last week about our friends from San Francisco. She knew God would provide a way for them to get home. And He did. I was a little short in the faith department last week. It's hard. But it shouldn't be. He continually shows us that He's got us covered. Constantly. So when she voiced her concern over the whole food situation yesterday, I had to smile. Remember Who is in charge Pretty Eyes! It ain't us. :) Turns out Clark made just enough. That's how it normally turns out. We make it. God makes it last. Now those that show up late? It breaks my heart, because occasionally we have to tell people that we have no food. I mean, if we start serving at noon, and there are around 150 people breaking bread, and some of them (lots of them actually) go through multiple times, then we'll run out eventually. So when someone shows up at 1:00 and we have nothing left, we really try to emphasize the noon start time. Yesterday, we had a guy show up late and he wasn't happy that we had no food for him. Now we had cornbread, bread, water, soda and stuff like that, but no main course. So he was angry and walked off mad. Then he showed up at the van and asked for the whole box of about 100 razors. I laughed thinking he was joking. Nope. He was serious. Wanted them all. Again, he left angry when I wouldn't give them all to him. Strange. Then, as we were leaving, I saw him approach Robin for a ride to the Open Door Mission. Well, between the two of us, I had all the kids in my car, and she had no seats in the van because we take them all out to haul everything down on Sundays. And the mission has a shuttle van that shuttles people back and forth several times a day. All he had to do was wait for the van. Could we have been a little more accommodating? Sure. Should we have been? Probably. But again, he left angry. Said he thought we were supposed to be Christians. Had some not so nice words for us. Now understand, this fellow had been drinking, pretty heavily by the looks of it, and I'm not sure what he was really after. In retrospect, we probably should have made it work and gave him a ride. But I just didn't feel like it was safe. I surely wasn't going to let Robin give him a ride. I don't know...probably missed an opportunity there. Hope not. So, we live and learn. But the cool thing about the whole incident? There was a guy who witnessed the whole thing. And I just met him for the first time yesterday. His name is Jeff. Very nice younger fellow. He was sitting on a wall reading a book and saw the whole thing as it transpired. And you know what he said? He said he was sorry for that guy's actions. He, who did nothing, was sorry for the other guy's actions. I told him no worries. But he said, here you guys go out of your way to try and help, and then you get treated like that. Hey, no worries Jeff. It happens. Thanks though. Honestly, its guys like "angry man" who really will keep us coming back. Its guys like Jeff who keep us grounded. Jeff took the blame for the other guy. Unnecessarily. Sounds like Someone else we know. But he did. We could have left with a bad taste, but Jeff made it alright. Thanks for the kind words Jeff. Thanks for taking one on the chin for the team.

And, Joe? Joe got his bread. Needs his daily bread. How do we go about getting Joe his daily bread? How do we ensure that Joe's needs are being met? And not just his physical needs. I'm not totally sure "we" can do that. But "we" can love him. That's for sure. And we can continue to help provide whatever we can provide, with God's grace. His overflowing and most abundant grace. And maybe a birthday cake. Because, lets face it, no matter what anyone says, a simple birthday cake is a great way to celebrate being together and a great excuse to share a little fellowship. As if we need an excuse.

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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

God Gives Discounts?

Another hot one for our activities yesterday. However, the trees in the park provide an uncanny cool. It is amazing to me and I thank God every Sunday that we meet there. It can be 97 degrees, but under the shade of His trees, it feels like a 20 degree difference. And give us a breeze and it is plain old comfortable. I have to tell you, the line of folks that gather on that corner is starting to scare me! It seems to get longer every Sunday. But the cool thing about that is that a great friend of ours told us that as God sends more people, He'll take care of the growth on our side. I think Robin and I counted between 15 and 20 people who gave up a couple of hours of their Sunday to come volunteer and help out. I don't think any of them regret it. It is really unbelievable that we meet so many more people each and every Sunday. God sends them. He feeds them. It's pretty simple. And we get many chances to share the love of Christ with them. But we also get to develop and cultivate the relationships a little deeper each and every time. As my friend Bob said once, you have to have a relationship first, or else they might write you off as a religious nut or something.

We had friends come down for the first time Sunday to help us out. They, like most everyone that has taken time out of their busy schedules to share with us, commented how nice everyone was and how respectful and thankful they were. Don't think its all love and happiness in a meadow of flowers. I'm not trying to present it in that way. There are some serious complexities, obviously. But for a couple of hours each Sunday, we get to see maybe a side of these guys that lots of people miss out on. I harp on the fact that they are no different than any of us, sans their obvious and apparent issues, but they really aren't any different. As soon as I go and get self righteous about my situation, I am immediately brought back to reality by some of the guys and gals we meet. You just never know the stories that got these folks to the point of homelessness. Some simply need a nudge back in the right direction and a prayer.

Yesterday, as I was glad handing and schmoozing through the line, as I'm so apt to do every week, I met Christopher and Jennifer. Along with their ShihTzu/Maltese pup, Elvis Presley. Go figure. Seems through a series of misfortune and maybe bad choices, they ended up here in Omaha. San Francisco is home. So, Omaha? And via Madison, Wisconsin? Listen, I know it sounds crazy. The story goes something like this. They piled into a van from San Francisco and headed to Jennifer's hometown of Madison. It was going to be a couple of days in Madison, and frankly a little party was involved. But I guess it was a vacation of sorts. So they get to Madison, things get crossed up at the party, he gives her his wallet, she puts it in her purse, the purse is left in the van and the next thing they know? They are stranded in Madison with no way of knowing where their stuff is? Somehow, their travel partners disappear and they are left in Wisconsin? My skeptical nature comes into play here big time. So when I meet them on our very own corner yesterday, I get the story. A pastor in Madison helps them get to Omaha, but can't afford to get them any further. I tell them to get something to eat and I'll try to brainstorm something in my feeble noggin'. They hang around. I try to carry out our normal activities, not knowing what in the heck I'm going to do to help these guys out. Two bus tickets to San Francisco without a 7 day advance? $340 bucks. That's a boat load of money. We don't have it. So what? Christopher tells me they landed in Omaha on Saturday and "slept" in the park the night before. Not much sleeping I guess? Oh and did I mention that Jennifer is 4 months pregnant? So, he tells me that they need to get back by Wednesday or he will lose his job. Now keep in mind, my skeptical nature is working me overtime. I'd just as soon not have to deal with this. I woke up Sunday with a nasty little summer cold, so my head was a little clouded, to put it mildly. Dealing with my own issues, so to speak. Pretty trivial on my part. But what if he's telling the truth? What if? Apparently, they've already contacted one of the shelters and they tell them they might be able to help Monday morning. But what if he's telling the truth? What if the shelter can't help them? What if they don't get back by Wednesday and he loses his job? What if he loses his job as a ship welder in San Francisco and in turn loses his place and becomes homeless? What if? Lots of what ifs there...

So as we wind up our activities, he tells me they just need a place to stay for the night and he can get his bearings so that he can start fresh Monday morning. I start working the phones. Trying to find a deal for them. Discount motels, hotels, whatever. There aren't many opportunities for that in downtown Omaha. The Embassy Suites didn't even make the cut. Too expensive for our fledgling budget, which is really non-existent. :) So, I call local Catholic parishes, shelters, whatever I could think of. No go. Nobody answers, no vacancies, no rooms, etc. Finally, I call the Quality Inn in Council Bluffs, Iowa. A stones throw from our corner, across the Missouri River. I get a great lady by the name of Ladonna. She is a Godsend. Stern, but very willing to help. I explain the situation and she says she'll give me the $90 dollar room for $35! Done. A full breakfast buffet and a shuttle service the next morning. Me and my boy Nick pile them into the car and head over to get them their room for the night. The next morning they can take the shuttle over to the shelter and see if Patti at the shelter can help them out. So we drop them off, and as Nick and I are heading home, we begin talking about the events that have transpired. Nick in all his childlike wisdom make yet another unbelievable observation. "Dad", he says, "God gives discounts"! I chuckle to myself and have to agree with Nick. He does indeed give discounts and second chances. I'm living proof.

So the story gets better. Longer of course because I'm rambling, but stick with me. It gets better. Robin get's home ahead of us and sends an email out to some people who have helped us in the past. "Emergency Help Needed". She explains the situation. Me? I'm thinking that we've done our part. My faith was pretty weak. I tried to pacify the situation by getting them a room for the night and "hoping" God would take care of them on Monday. Shortly after Robin sends out the email, she gets a response from her dad. If we haven't gotten this taken care of locally, he'd be willing to help out. From Boise, Idaho. She prayed that if it was God's will, that we'd be able to help Christopher, Jennifer and Elvis Presley get on the 8:45 bus to San Francisco Sunday night. That would get them home by Tuesday morning. 36 hours on a Greyhound bus? Yikes! Penance enough for bad choices? I don't know how that works? But it would get them home in time for Christopher to get to work on Wednesday. So after the email from John, it's time for us to decide to take the plunge and have faith that God will indeed provide. I mean he already has, but we didn't want her dad to have to shoulder the entire amount. He graciously offered, but we were hoping for others to chip in. I'm ashamed to admit that my faith wasn't as strong as I'd like it to have been. Ashamed. But not old Pretty Eyes. Her faith was strong. When we had confirmation (like we needed it...I mean was there any doubt that God would cover this?), we called the hotel and told Christopher to pack up and I'd be on my way shortly.

I picked them up around 7:30 to make the 8:45. It was a short trip to the bus station, but we chatted a little more. We talked about their kids, our kids, about the blessing that had been laid upon them and how grateful they were. Look, it's easy to be grateful when you are desperate and Someone (God) comes to your rescue. Easy. Words of gratefulness come flowing pretty easy. The tickets were purchased, thanks were given, hugs were shared and I just prayed that God would get them back safely. I have to tell you that I prayed for clarity on the way to pick them up and it came immediately. Just do it. Immediately. I was so doubtful earlier and Robin was so faithful. So as I left the bus station, my mind is racing with thoughts? Will we ever hear the end of the story? What happened to the "friends"? Did they get home in time? He promised to send some money back. I told him to please simply call me and let me know that they made it home safely.

So here's the thing. Ultimately, these folks got the discount. God gave them the discount. While Christopher and I were standing in line to get the bus tickets, he mentioned that he didn't think they could stay in Omaha? I mean is this how people become homeless? Is it possible that people make bad choices in maybe desperate situations and end up in a place like this?? What if no one were able to help them? What if they ended up here and days became weeks and weeks became months? I know it sounds far fetched, but we've heard these exact stories. Sometimes it's just about circumstances. And maybe if we just help out unconditionally, with no strings attached, maybe we might just be able to make a difference to those folks...

By Monday morning we have several offers to help. The burden can be shared and God, as we know he always does, has come through again! Got us covered. Gave us the discount.

I leave you with the following story...we've all heard it a million times, but it fits. Lord have mercy on me and my unfaithfulness...

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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

Man down!!

Yesterday was a hot one. 97 degrees and hot. Both Robin and I weren't feeling the greatest either, for whatever reason. I spent the 4th driving to Alabama. My father's wife passed away last Sunday. The funeral was Thursday, so four of my brothers and sisters and myself piled into a van and headed down to be with Dad. It's an 1100 mile trip there, so we did the whole 2200 miles in three days thing and it tends to wear on you a bit. But my Dad is the one who is worn. His wife was in the hospital for 6 weeks and it was an extremely difficult situation for him, not to mention the stress on her family. I watched as they played a video tribute at the funeral and wondered how someone goes through this with their mother...their wife. I wondered what this would be like for my own mother? My own wife? God forbid something like this should happen. It will. Someday. Dad now has to face the coming weeks and months without his wife. I can't imagine. My wife is my rock. I can't imagine going on without her. Ol' Pretty Eyes. Or Sweetness as I've called her for the better part of 17 years. :)

So yesterday was a somewhat typical Nebraska July day. 97 degrees. Hot. Humid. But we have a good shaded aread under the trees where we meet, so the heat really isn't such a big deal. It's days like that though, when I worry about what might happen on our downtown corner. You worry about tempers flaring or issues arising. The heat and humidity have a way of doing that. Oh, and the alcohol. Can't forget about that. And whatever other issues that are being dealt with by our friends. And I have to say there are issues. Not unlike the issues we all face. Theirs are maybe just highlighted a little more because of the circumstances. A couple of the shelters here have shut down their day services, so our friends are out in the heat and whatnot all day now. No respite from the elements for lots of them. Some hang out in the library, but some have been asked not to come back to the public library for various reasons, so they spend their days in the park. The city is trying to come up with funding, I guess, but they seem to be more concerned with spending a million dollars on new manhole covers. Gotta have those new manhole covers! Good grief. What does that mean when we are willing to spend a million dollars on something like that (which I should say, the last time I checked, there were no open holes in the streets anywhere in Omaha) but we can't take care of our own? Aren't we taught that we are to care for the poor? Aren't we taught that we are to love the less fortunate as we love ourselves? So manhole covers? Yikes. I feel a tangent coming. But not now.

So as we were doing our thing yesterday, I was greeting our friends as they waited in line to grab a bite to eat. And these folks are pretty darn patient as they wait. In the heat. Did I mention 97 degrees? My niece came down for the first time a couple weeks ago to help us out and one of her comments stuck with me. She couldn't believe how respectful these guys were. How thankful. That's the deal. They are so appreciative that God sends us and it shows. Very respectful and just very thankful. So as I make my way through the line, and it's getting longer every single week and I'm seeing faces I've never seen before, I notice a police car just on the corner kind of monitoring the situation. After a few minutes, I just kind of did a pre-emptive strike to make sure everything was ok. Chatted with him for a couple of minutes. He said they had an increased presence in the park because of the increased numbers of folks gathering in the park. Things can get out of hand quickly I suppose.

A few minutes later, as I'm helping out at the hydration station, or the lemonade coolers, I hear the words. "Man down"! "Man down"! I immediately head to the direction of the commotion. Earlier I saw a fellow sleeping in the dirt. Let me say that again...in the dirt, right smack in the middle of our activities. Asleep. Catching some zzzzs. So as I make my way over to where the noise is coming from, I see Robin is the one making all the noise. :) Ol' Pretty Eyes. :) She is motioning towards the police officer and seeking his assistance. At this point, we realize that our friend Gary, who had previously been sleeping in the dirt, has had a little too much to drink and is pretty much just sleeping it off. Right there in the dirt. How does one get to the point that you just decide to fall asleep in the dirt?? So Robin, thinking he has a problem, calls the officer over and guess what? He comes over and gives ol' Gary a little kick on the feet. Well, Gary was having none of that. He struggled to get up and said that a police officer can't just come over and kick a guy. Illegal he said. Gonna file a lawsuit. Well, we got Gary calmed down with a plate of food, a bottle of water and some nice cool lemonade. No lawsuits as far as I know, and no "Man Down!".

Another incident nearly happened yesterday. As people gather on that corner, you know that folks end up meeting one another and maybe they have a little history. Ya know what I mean? Maybe guys get together that don't get along so well. Two guys with a little history almost got heated up yesterday. Joe and Kevin. Seems that they got into a bit of a deal last fall. Happened almost exactly when we started showing up on that corner last year. I have no idea of the real details. I have been able to make a few assumptions, based on the two individuals and what I've come to know of them. I really don't know them very well at all, obviously, but I think well enough to make an educated guess as to what maybe happened. Joe apparently felt threatened by a few guys one day last year, a scuffle broke out and Kevin ended up in the hospital with a stab wound in his back. Now this happened far away from our corner, and not on a Sunday. But I remember a few guys telling us one Sunday that Kevin was in the hospital and why. We visited Kevin in the hospital to see if he needed anything and brought clothing and stuff. Now Joe was arrested and released almost immediately. Didn't know what that meant at the time, but the charges were dropped rather quickly. Anyway, yesterday, Kevin shows up and before you know it, a situation has to be diffused. We get through it rather easily, but I guess the point is things can happen rather quickly. It's a mission field. We need prayer for safety, for a calming presence, for grace and just prayer in general. If you are into that sort of thing, pray for us if you will. Pray for Kevin and Joe. Pray for Gary. Pray for all of us. Lord knows we need it.

Couple of other things from yesterday. Saw a couple of friends I haven't seen in a while. Bill was there. If you've followed our activities at all, you'll recall Bill was my buddy from the Office. I get the impression that he's trying, but he doesn't sense a lot of hope. Just my impression. Bill is recovering from a broken leg. Having a hard time getting around. And Menelik was there also. Menelik just got back from Washington D.C. I have no idea how some of these guys get around like they do, but they do. Anyway, Menelik is one of the original Lost Boys. His story is amazing. I watched Blood Diamond recently and couldn't help but think of Menelik when I watched that movie. His story is amazing and he is amazingly homeless in Omaha Nebraska? What is that about?

Sorry for all the ramblings, but this was a rambling sort of week for me. If you could, pray for my Dad also. He'll need it. But hey, we all do. And pray that the mayor of our fine city will forget about the stupid manhole covers and get his priorities straightened out. And please pray for all the men down. There are guys that really are down, figuratively and literally, and they really need our help...

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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

Pretty Eyes!

So guess who has a "street name"? Go ahead, take a guess?

I was talking to my friend John yesterday and he looked good. John is an avid outdoorsman. Not necessarily by choice. But, he lives on the streets. Lived under a bridge for a while, until the department of roads decided it was time for him to move on. Now? Wherever he can put a stake in the ground. John had a bit of a rough week. I suppose it can get that way. Someone blew into John's camp last week. Left in worse shape than John apparently. I happened to see him around Tuesday or Wednesday last week in the downtown area. The incident happened the night before. I don't know the details, and I'm not sure they really matter. The point is someone came into his camp and started a little trouble with him. I imagine that neither one of the combatants were feeling much pain that evening. John came away with a busted eye and a few bumps and bruises. The other guy apparently got the worst end of the deal. So I saw John the morning after. Looked a little down. But he usually has that look in his eyes that tells you he'll be alright, whatever alright is in his world.

Yesterday, I chatted with John briefly. He looked much better. You have to really talk with John to get a real feel for the guy. I'm guessing he's in his 50's? Looks a little older, but I'm sure living on the streets can age a guy. If I remember correctly, John has been on the streets for many years. 15? 20? Somewhere in that area. He once told me he liked the street life. Said that he could sit on a downtown bench and watch all the busy people hustle and bustle from place to place and chuckle to himself. He knows where to get food, knows where to get the basic necessities of life. Another time, last winter, I saw him getting soup and pouring it into a jar. He did this about 3 or 4 times. Finally, I told him to just go up and have them fill up his jar! He was making me tired just watching him work his way through the line over and over! The next week? Robin brought him a thermos filled with soup. No need to work the line man! You are a veteran. We'll take care of you. I've mentioned before that there are certain people we gravitate towards at times. John is definitely one of those people. He certainly has a bundle of issues. Post traumatic stress disorder from a violent upbringing. Alcohol plays a big part in lots of his days. I imagine other vices creep into the picture also. It's that way sometimes for some of these great people.

As I chatted with John yesterday, he just seemed more upbeat. Had a twinkle in his eye. I talked to him recently and he wasn't doing too well. It was a couple of weeks ago, and I saw him at the library. He told me that he had been drinking for too many days. Said that normally, he goes 3 or 4 days and then takes about that many off. Not this time. He had been drinking a few too many days and was not feeling well. Now, he's pretty functional, so you can't really tell he's been at it too hard. Either that or it was earlier enough in the day that he was still in fair shape. That's not the point. The point is that Robin saw him around the same time and was really worried for him. She wrote a blog about that day and was really concerned for his well being.

Yesterday though, John was in a good, light hearted mood. As we shook hands, I could sense a good spirit about him. He was doing better. He said he was able to get some good clothing from the donation bins we brought down. We have been getting lots of clothing donations lately, so that end of things has been darn good. John asked if we could help him get a new belt. And he's not a guy who asks for much, so sure...no problem. Robin was able to grab him a belt from our good friends at Heart Ministry. Great people and man have they helped us out in so many ways. God really hooked us up there. So John smiled big and thanked us for the good "stuff" he was able to nab on Sunday.

One trait that I believe comes from living on the streets is the ability of these guys to figure people out pretty quickly. If you are about a bunch of bs, they'll be on to you pretty quickly. If they get the sense that you truly care, they pick up on that pretty quickly also. I only say that because when a guy like John tells me something about an individual, I usually listen. I'm guessing that his people senses are pretty sharp. Have to be to survive on the streets.

As we were talking, he leaned in and said the following... (I'll paraphrase, but it went something like this)..."Dave, you've got a street name you know?" Me? What is that John? "Well Dave, on the streets, you're known as Super Dave". Ha! Super Dave! Now that cracks me up. I hear something different every week. I'd heard this one before. When we first started going down, Bill (our friend from the office) mentioned that one to me. Said what we did was called Super Dave Sunday. Now that's a good one. Crazy. But what John said to me next was what made me stop and smile. He said "Dave, Robin has a street name also". I said oh really? What is that John? Rockin' Robin? Just kidding Robin. No, John leaned in a little closer yet and said "Robin's street name in Pretty Eyes". Yeah, that's right. Pretty Eyes. You can tell a lot about a person by their eyes. You see, people can see in Robin the genuine compassion and love of Christ. Pretty Eyes. Yep. That fits. Because, Robin is Pretty Eyes. And more. But that sums it up. Now, I don't know if John coined that one or not, but we are going to run with that one. And I'll tell you why. Robin has a compassionate heart for this ministry that knows no bounds. If I'm not careful, I'll come home someday and the basement of our house will be a homeless shelter. Wouldn't our suburban neighbors love that! :) Might just be a good thing. But the thing about Robin and this ministry? A match made in...you guessed it...heaven. Because there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that our Lord and Savior knew exactly what he was doing when he placed this thing in our lap.

As we were winding things up yesterday, in fact after everything was loaded and we were ready to go. I was chatting with a few of the stragglers who were hanging around the park and I saw Robin having what looked to be a pretty good conversation with Juan, Jody, Joe and Jay. Now Jay has the best smile of any guy you'll ever meet. As I joined the conversation, I realized that this was a conversation where Robin was able to share her love for Christ just as he would have us do. I mean, we always pray that God will give us the words if an opportunity arises. Well it arose. I just watched as Robin shared Matthew's gospel with those 4 great folks right there on the corner of 14th and Douglas. Juan whipped out his bible and it was on. But more importantly, God gave her just the right words to share with these guys and Jodie at just the right time. In His time. I often wonder where this thing is going. This Sunday church of which we are honored to be participants. I have always thought it was meant to be a marathon. We've been at it less than a year and it's been all good. So in marathon terminology, we're probably at mile marker 1, if that. God had so definitely shared this with us and has led us to form relationships that we otherwise would not have. It is so cool. And you know how after 6 or 7 months with new friends, sometimes you get to take that next step in the relationship and go a little deeper? Well, it seems that time might be now. And ol' Pretty Eyes is leading the pack! :) Yep, she's got a street name, compassion, love and she's so great in these situations. You'd think God had a plan?

Anyway, it was a good day. Lots of great people. Old faces, new faces...old friends, new friends. And now? Street names! What in the world will it be next?!

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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