Today was a pretty typical day for us. Lots of clothing, lots of fellowship and a couple hundred or so meals in the park. We were gone last week at a family reunion so we had lots of folks telling us it was good to have us back. We are so appreciative of the people that help out so often. Last weekend some of our friends from Coram Deo church here in Omaha took care of getting a meal to our friends downtown. Their generosity allowed us to do our annual family gathering in Iowa without having to worry about our friends in the homeless community downtown. So it was nice to be away for a weekend, but equally nice to be back today. Pretty calm day downtown. The weather was great, the food was good, and everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits. We even had a fellow jamming on an acoustic guitar and a harmonica. Said he might dig back into the memory banks and work up some Christian songs for us. I said just come back and play.
Most of the usual suspects were there today. One thing that happened for me and I believe this was a first for us, was a fellow we thought had left and moved on to another part of the country was back. Turns out he never left. I was a little discouraged to see him at first. He asked us a while back if we could help him out. We tried our best to get him a ticket out of Omaha. Apparently he didn’t make the bus. He says he’s still going. It was just a bit disappointing to see him today. I mean, I want to see all of our friends each week. But if we don’t then maybe that means things are going well. Obviously, at times it means things aren’t going so well. In this fellow’s case, it was, according to him, the latter. He’s still going to try to get there, and I have hopes that he’ll reach his destination, but he seems to be in a state of mind that might not allow him to get there. We’ll see…
So a couple of our friends were missing in action today. Frank and Bill were laying low. According to another friend they weren’t feeling up to it. For some reason, it always bothers me when I don’t see those two. They are pretty inseparable, so you almost always see them together or not at all. Today? Not at all. Apparently Frank is camping. Under a bridge. In downtown Omaha. According to his friend, he needed a blanket. We didn’t have any today. I did have a couple of sleeping bags, just not with me. So I made arrangements to meet with Frank on Monday after work. So we get home and I throw a sleeping bag in my car so I wouldn’t forget it on Monday. I had to head down in that general vicinity later on Sunday, so I decided to take a chance and see exactly where my friend was “living” these days. I found a parking lot just above where I thought he was hanging out, and took off to find him. I looked in a couple of different areas and saw someone a little ways off. I couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or passed out, because from my perspective, he looked a bit slumped over. I yelled out his name and he looked up. He wasn’t sure who I was from a distance, but when I yelled and told him who it was, he welcomed me into his camp area. Good thing, because I was going in anyway. :) So this was it. A couple of blankets rolled out on the ground, a pillow, a loaf of smuggled bread from our earlier lunch, a few books, a pouch of tobacco and some rolling papers. This was home. I think Frank was happy to see me, but I had mixed feelings. It’s so hard on the one hand to try and make a guy comfortable in these surroundings. I don’t want to come across as encouraging. And then I realize how absolutely ridiculous my feelings are in these situations. This guy is going to do what he does. Told me as much today. It’s what we do Dave, he says. So we head back to my car to get the sleeping bag. On the way we have a chance for small talk. It was on the walk back that he told me about Urban Nomads. I mean, I’ve heard the phrase before, but being here in his “home” made it seem a little more real. These guys really do live life in a seriously nomadic way. I can’t imagine.
Once back at my car, I gave him the sleeping bag, but I was also able to share a little of the Gospel with him. It was a great opportunity to share a little with him about my faith. The thing I felt compelled to share with him is that even if this is his lot in life, then so be it. I really don’t think it has to be this way for him, but that’s me. I asked him if he ever reads. The Bible? He said that he was flying a sign a while back and a fellow had given him a nice leather Bible. But do you read it? I tried to share a few things that might help him if he were to decide to actually open it up. I just really felt compelled to spend a few minutes with him, one on one and just share a little of what I’ve learned over the years. We spoke about his Mom, who passed away when he was 2 years old. He cried when he told me he has no memory of his Mother. It was just nice to be able to share a few minutes away from the normal craziness that Sunday brings on our downtown corner. And here we were in his "house" talking about Jesus Christ. Who woulda thunk it?
Anyway, it turned out to be a great day. I pray for Frank and his safety. The one thing he told me is the next time I approach a camp like his I need to know how to approach it correctly. There is a proper way. I suppose a guy could get himself in a little trouble just bounding into someone’s camp. The correct way to approach? You gotta know the pass phrase - Hail to the camp! Hail to the camp? Are you kidding me? How about Hail to the King? That’s what it should be! Maybe I can work that in and get the fellows to use that one! :)
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."Matthew 20:28, NLT
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Go out and make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Most of the usual suspects were there today. One thing that happened for me and I believe this was a first for us, was a fellow we thought had left and moved on to another part of the country was back. Turns out he never left. I was a little discouraged to see him at first. He asked us a while back if we could help him out. We tried our best to get him a ticket out of Omaha. Apparently he didn’t make the bus. He says he’s still going. It was just a bit disappointing to see him today. I mean, I want to see all of our friends each week. But if we don’t then maybe that means things are going well. Obviously, at times it means things aren’t going so well. In this fellow’s case, it was, according to him, the latter. He’s still going to try to get there, and I have hopes that he’ll reach his destination, but he seems to be in a state of mind that might not allow him to get there. We’ll see…
So a couple of our friends were missing in action today. Frank and Bill were laying low. According to another friend they weren’t feeling up to it. For some reason, it always bothers me when I don’t see those two. They are pretty inseparable, so you almost always see them together or not at all. Today? Not at all. Apparently Frank is camping. Under a bridge. In downtown Omaha. According to his friend, he needed a blanket. We didn’t have any today. I did have a couple of sleeping bags, just not with me. So I made arrangements to meet with Frank on Monday after work. So we get home and I throw a sleeping bag in my car so I wouldn’t forget it on Monday. I had to head down in that general vicinity later on Sunday, so I decided to take a chance and see exactly where my friend was “living” these days. I found a parking lot just above where I thought he was hanging out, and took off to find him. I looked in a couple of different areas and saw someone a little ways off. I couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or passed out, because from my perspective, he looked a bit slumped over. I yelled out his name and he looked up. He wasn’t sure who I was from a distance, but when I yelled and told him who it was, he welcomed me into his camp area. Good thing, because I was going in anyway. :) So this was it. A couple of blankets rolled out on the ground, a pillow, a loaf of smuggled bread from our earlier lunch, a few books, a pouch of tobacco and some rolling papers. This was home. I think Frank was happy to see me, but I had mixed feelings. It’s so hard on the one hand to try and make a guy comfortable in these surroundings. I don’t want to come across as encouraging. And then I realize how absolutely ridiculous my feelings are in these situations. This guy is going to do what he does. Told me as much today. It’s what we do Dave, he says. So we head back to my car to get the sleeping bag. On the way we have a chance for small talk. It was on the walk back that he told me about Urban Nomads. I mean, I’ve heard the phrase before, but being here in his “home” made it seem a little more real. These guys really do live life in a seriously nomadic way. I can’t imagine.
Once back at my car, I gave him the sleeping bag, but I was also able to share a little of the Gospel with him. It was a great opportunity to share a little with him about my faith. The thing I felt compelled to share with him is that even if this is his lot in life, then so be it. I really don’t think it has to be this way for him, but that’s me. I asked him if he ever reads. The Bible? He said that he was flying a sign a while back and a fellow had given him a nice leather Bible. But do you read it? I tried to share a few things that might help him if he were to decide to actually open it up. I just really felt compelled to spend a few minutes with him, one on one and just share a little of what I’ve learned over the years. We spoke about his Mom, who passed away when he was 2 years old. He cried when he told me he has no memory of his Mother. It was just nice to be able to share a few minutes away from the normal craziness that Sunday brings on our downtown corner. And here we were in his "house" talking about Jesus Christ. Who woulda thunk it?
Anyway, it turned out to be a great day. I pray for Frank and his safety. The one thing he told me is the next time I approach a camp like his I need to know how to approach it correctly. There is a proper way. I suppose a guy could get himself in a little trouble just bounding into someone’s camp. The correct way to approach? You gotta know the pass phrase - Hail to the camp! Hail to the camp? Are you kidding me? How about Hail to the King? That’s what it should be! Maybe I can work that in and get the fellows to use that one! :)
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."Matthew 20:28, NLT
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Go out and make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
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