Writ To Assemble?

Yesterday was HOT.  I mean the old fry an egg on the sidewalk kind of hot.  It was so hot that I burned my hand on the inside roof of the trailer as I was loading the tables up before heading home.  I wasn't sure what kind of crowd to expect because of this crazy heat wave we've been having, but our friends definitely showed up.  Not sure I can say that I would have ventured into the downtown Omaha area yesterday if I were them, but for reasons unknown to me, they came.  And in force.  The heat index was well over 100°F.  Plain and simple, it was brutal.  My man Dwight brought 10 cases of water.  We left with none.  We brought 2 big coolers of lemonade.  Left with none.  We did come home with quite a bit of coffee.  Never know how much of that to make.  If I make less than normal, we run out.  If I make the usual amount, we bring a bunch home.  Always a tough one to gauge.  I know I wouldn't be drinking hot coffee on a day like today, in that crazy heat.  But people do.  Crazy.  So it was dangerously hot and we did our best to make sure there was plenty of fluids to go around.  A quick side note here.  I was at the City of Refuge Children's Home  in Jamaica a couple weeks ago.  One of, if not the most amazing places I've ever been.  I kept a few notes on our visit there.  I'm here to tell you it's hotter in Omaha right now than it is in Jamaica!  Only we don't have the mountains and beaches.  Go figure...

So we got downtown yesterday, got all set up and were ready to get that show on the road.  After getting the ok from the boss (Robin...oh yeah, I know who runs the show), I took my usual spot up on the wall with my trusted assistant Erin and we made few quick announcements.  It was hot, so I wasn't going to spend much time pontificating.  Although I'm apt to do that on occasion, I didn't think the conditions warranted my soapbox preachin'.  :)  But I'd had a thought a couple days ago.  And it went like this.  I get about 5 minutes or so up on that wall.  I feel it's pretty important to share what I believe with our friends.  I make sure they know that He loves them.  I hope that is clear.  But a thought came to mind a few days ago to make sure I told the ones that don't believe.  To address them specifically.  I know as I stand on that wall and share, there are clearly and definitely those that are there purely because they can get a quick meal, a few t-shirts maybe, some hygiene items, whatever.  And one thing I've always been clear about is that I'm not going to force my faith, my beliefs, my Jesus on anyone.  I'll share it with them, for sure.  But if a guy doesn't want to listen, then I'm not sure what else I can do.  We know our words don't go out void.  They don't come back empty.  But I know for a fact, because I've seen it first hand, that people feel this need to "beat up" our friends with their faith.  To prostheletyze to the point of offense.  I know there's a fine line there and I'm pretty sure I've crossed it many times.  But one thing I know for sure is our actions speak volumes about our faith.  We gotta proclaim it.  But to me, it's pretty important that we live it also.  And I know people see it.  They've told us.  So a thought came to mind to reach out to the non-believers.  Novel idea, I know. 

So I'm on the wall.  I have nothing really prepared.  Just not how I operate.  My whole life, as unfortunate as it may be at times, is flying by the seat of my pants.  But this day, I was going to just share with the folks that think I spout nonsense from that wall.  I was just going to share with them that God does indeed love them.  He wants them to love Him back.  But no matter what they think, He loves them.  So just as I'm getting to that, a bit of a disturbance breaks out.  I look back over to the area on the sidewalk by 14th Street and I see a fellow with an orange backpack.  Middle aged Caucasian fellow.  He's not walking into the crowd, but just skirting on the outside edge.  As I realize that he's yelling at us, and sort of at me, I try to catch what it is he's saying.  He's yelling pretty loudly at me and asking if we have a Writ to Assemble.  Well, no, we've never had a Writ to Assemble.  We have no permit.  Nothing that would legally allow 150 or 200 people to gather on a downtown corner and eat, share and honor God.  Nothing that would allow us to do that.  Other than His blessing.  And this fellow was not happy with us being there.  I've seen him before.  He's a homeless fellow that is obviously troubled.  He stated very loudly that we needed the proper paperwork, hence the Writ to Assemble, to be here doing what we do.  I could count on one hand the number of times someone has told us, in almost 5 years, that we need a permit or whatever to show up and gather on that corner.  But not one time have we ever encountered anyone of significance, i.e. from the city, telling us we can't be here.  And I definitely wasn't worried about what this guy might be thinking.  Other than trying to quickly defuse whatever was on his mind and get him to move along.  So I try as best I can to assure him, from across the way, that we're ok and it would be alright if he moved on.  He asked me to come back later that night if I wanted to fight.  Seriously?  I assured him it was ok to move on.  As he was walking away, I even did my best to wish God's blessings on him.  He wished them back.  "God bless you a$$_ _ _ _" were the exact words he used.  I've been called worse.

But one thing I know.  This battle was not between me and this fellow.  I don't even know him.  And he doesn't know me.  This was not a battle of flesh.  The funny thing was, as he was yelling this stuff, he never once tried to come into the crowd.  Just stayed on the outer edge.   And the whole thing probably lasted about a couple minutes.  It was quick and brief.  But to me it was clearly the enemy making his presence known.  Letting us know that we were on his turf.  And that he was in charge down here.  Well, maybe so.  But not on this Sunday.  Not during this time.  It may have felt as if we were in hell, because it was sure smoking hot, but God was at work.  All we had to do was show up and He'd make sure of that.  It was like there was a protective barrier all around us.  This dude wanted in, but it wasn't happening.  And when I said "God Bless you", I meant it.  I always do.  But that certainly isn't how it was received.  And later on, my boy Nick tells me I should have offered him lunch.  And he was right.  Instead of asking him to move along, I most definitely should have asked him to join us.  Wasn't so quick on my feet that time.  I'm usually not.  I absolutely should have offered him lunch.  And a free Bible.  And a little love.  And whatever else we had to offer.  Missed opportunity on my part for sure.  He never tried to come in the crowd.  Like I said, it was almost like he was just making his presence known.  Like he was telling us that even thought we were there, this was his territory.  Well maybe so, but for a couple hours on this particular day, it was God's. 

One last note that I always want to remember is how God manages the details of this thing.  There's a fellow and his wife that have been helping us out in this thing for a long time now.  He was telling Robin yesterday how he is always amazed at how this thing always comes together.  Down to every little detail.  He's a planning guy.  Has to have all the details worked out ahead of time.  And to be sure, there is a bit of planning that goes into making this happen.  But God always, and I mean always, is in the details.  Even right down to someone having a can opener yesterday.  We had a can that needed to be opened and no opener.  Or so we thought.  And God cares about even the smallest details.  I've seen it too many times to think otherwise.  He cares.  And when we go in His name, he shows up.  Before us even.  And when that happens, amazing things happen.  And even the presence of the enemy himself cannot thwart God's plan.  He works it all out.  I'm reminded constantly not to get ahead of His plan.  I've done it too many times.  And every time I mange to screw it up.  Sometimes pretty badly.  But when we allow Him to work, amazing things happen.  And we realize the only Writ to Assemble we need comes from God Himself.  So to the fellow that asked, yes we definitely have a Writ to Assemble.  We had one yesterday and we'll have one next time.  And it will be blessed by God Himself.  If you have any questions or issues with that, I'd suggest you take them up with Him.  He'll be able to answer any questions you may have.  ;)

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. ~Ephesians 6:10-12 The Message

Make a difference…it matters.