We’re all…?

"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9:6

So here’s the rundown on today’s activities. First of all, Papio Creek Church came and did all the cooking. Brought a horde of people. It was a great Sunday. The weather was a little nicer today, a little cool with a slight threat of rain, but none to be had during our time on 14th and Douglas. It was a great Sunday!! Lots of people showed up today. The day temporary day facility will be closing this week, so I’d expect even more growth in the next few weeks. And with the expected break in the weather coming, that would seem to be a natural transition for us. At least we have a little experience now. We’ve been through 2 winters so we kind of know what to expect coming into the spring. The need for boots and coats will be replaced with various other needs. Today was a day of blessings for sure though. Papio Creek had a Service Sunday today. I believe the idea is to replace their normal Sunday service, once a quarter, with an outing into the community where various opportunities are available to the church members. I think they heard of our activities through a recent news story and we hooked up for a great time today. Their motto? Church has left the building. Together, we were able to bring Church to our corner once again today and it was indeed good.

Lots of difficulties this past week. A couple of the fellows we know from our corner didn’t make it through the week. 2 fellows passed within 12 hours of each other at the Sienna Francis House shelter. Mark and Dan. Mark? 46. Dan? 39. Robin got an email a couple of days ago telling us of these 2 tragedies. I looked through my little notepad I take with me every week to see if I knew the names for sure. It’s hard to keep track of all the guys we meet because there are so many of them and also because of the transient nature of their lifestyles. I might see a guy one week and not see him for weeks or even months. And then they show up again. And we may see them every week for months or maybe not. And then you start to wonder. Whatever happened to…? I noticed that Mark was in my notebook. Sometime late last year he needed a pair of boots. Size 11. And Mark was a fellow who I wrote about once in a blog. He had some sort of medical problem on our corner a few months back and we had to call an emergency crew in to have him examined. He always had a smile on his face when I saw him. Always very grateful and appreciative of our efforts on that corner. And I believe he was pretty sick on Easter Sunday. His son asked for a to-go plate for his dad. So Robin put one together for him. That’s the last we heard of home until the email came telling us of his passing. Heartbreaking. And Dan passed this week also. 39 years young. I just saw him last Sunday. Seemed fine. It can happen that quickly. In the blink of any eye…

Got an email from a great friend of mine this week. He was disappointed in some events that had taken place last week. Disappointed in himself I suppose. In his email lots of things stood out, but one thing in particular stood out to me. He mentioned that in his troubles, a moment of clarity had come to him. In spite of all his efforts? He was still a drunk. I thought about that and it dawned on me. We’re all drunks. In some way, shape or form. All drunks with different addictions or afflictions. I could fill a book about all the things I struggle with. But for some of our friends, it just manifests itself a little more outwardly. If we are completely honest with ourselves, our own temptations are pretty crazy at times. I know mine are. I had the opportunity to listen to a podcast on Saturday about temptation. It was the first in a 4 part series from the church we attended in Charlotte. I’d recommend it to anyone who struggles with whatever temptations. I guess that would be 99% of us. So when I got the email, it was my own moment of clarity that we are all pretty messed up. I mean I knew this. It wasn’t a lightening bolt or anything. I see lots of “messed up” in a very loud manner each Sunday. But I see lots more in a not so loud manner every day in my office. People struggling with whatever situations life is dealing out. So we’re not much different than a drunken, homeless fellow in that sense. It’s just how it manifests itself. I’m probably able to hide mine a little more so than my friends downtown. Theirs is just a little more obvious. So when my friend said that “" I am what I am". A drunk. Period.”, I had to agree that most of us are.

The verse at the top was in one of my devotionals this week. One of the key words in that is “now”. Not “soon’, or when you feel up to it, or tomorrow or the next day or next week or whenever. Now. NOW. Get up and go to the city. Get up and go. Don’t’ sit back and wait for direction. Get up and go. NOW. And you will be told what you must do. You see for us, and this becomes so much more apparent with each passing week, we didn’t have to over analyze this thing. We simply had to go. God would and has taken care of the rest. But waiting wasn’t an option. I have met some of the most amazing people on that corner. We may know them for a few months. We may know them for a few weeks. Or a few days. But we get to know them. And if we never see them again? Well, we are able to offer a little slice of Christ’s love wrapped up in a cup of soup or whatever. But it’s there. Because that’s simply the only direction we need. I met a young lady today whose name was Laura. Met her in the office, that place in the middle of the park where some of our homeless friends do various types of “business”. She thanked me for the pre-meal prayer. I thanked her for listening. And taking part. And we have so many people thanking us for coming all the time. I simply thank them for having us. All we had to do was go. Now. And keep going. We took several neighbor kids with us today. And they all seem to love going. It’s just the oddest mix of people every week, but in the end? We’re all pretty much the same. A bunch of drunks hanging out on a street corner in downtown Omaha looking for the answers to unknown questions.

A big thanks goes out to our friends at Papio Creek Church for hanging out with us today. We’d love to do it again. It was a blessed day and spirits were high. That happens in the Lord’s presence. :)

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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

So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (GNT)