Run to the Chariot?

Felt great to be in the presence of God today. Don’t know exactly why it was different today, but it was just a great feeling. Been an interesting week for me. I was reading an email devotional a few days ago and it just happened to be a verse from Acts. Acts 8:30. "Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet..." I thought about this verse several times during the week and then this morning, I read it again from the NIV. As I read, it became a little clearer to me. Go to the chariot. Don’t stop and ask questions. Don’t weigh the pros and cons. Just go. Do it. And when he got there, he found the fellow at the chariot reading from Isaiah. Reading things maybe he didn’t necessarily understand. Philip was led to a guy who needed a little discernment. Apparently. At least that’s how it comes across to me. And I get that. I need that often. So he goes to a chariot, sees an opportunity to share the Good News and jumps at it. What an awesome opportunity. What’s the chariot?

We get to our corner this morning and I sense a good day ahead. Again, don’t really know why, but I just felt like it was going to be a great day. It was. Because we were in the presence of the Lord. It is so obvious. I had a lengthy conversation with an older fellow named John today. John is like a long lost grandpa. 60 years old. From Houston, Texas. Been in Omaha quite a while now. Alcoholic. By choice he says. I can’t say that I’ve ever really seen him in a bad way. Just a nice, very endearing fellow. And he’s one of the guys I always look for. Always smiling. And just a genuine person. So, we’re talking at the back of the van and I’m trying to understand how a fellow like John is in the position he’s in. How? Addictions. Never been married. Never had any children that he knows of. How does that happen? John is just a really nice guy. I absolutely love talking to him. And he’s homeless and probably not going to change that anytime soon. He tells me he loves me. And he means it. I can tell. And the feeling is mutual. I have to be honest here. As in any situation, be it your average social gathering, the workplace, a church, whatever, there are simply people we either have difficulty relating to or people we simply don’t like to have relationships with. It’s no different here. There are homeless guys that I have a hard time with. It’s usually a personality issue. Sometimes we just run into people we clash with. Happens. And it happens in our Sunday activities. Some people I’m naturally drawn to. Others are just more difficult to relate to. Not John. I could talk with John for hours. He’s just that kind of guy. His afternoon plans? Heading to a bar to have a beer. That’s what it comes down to. I asked if he ever tired of that lifestyle? Nope. It’s what he wants to do. But he’s a definite believer. Got tears in his eyes several times during our conversation. Genuine tears. Told me how thankful he was for what we did. That he thinks of us almost daily. I told him not to think of us. Think of Him. There has to be more in there. Has to be. I’ll keep searching. Probing. Has to be more. Is he the guy at the chariot?

The funniest thing happened this week. Robin gets a call from someone at the Sienna Francis House. They had a hygiene collection or drive or something like that. They were looking for the small bars of soap and larger bottles of shampoo. Not sure why they needed those specific sizes. Surely they have their reasons. So as I was loading out our stuff last week, I noticed that we were almost out of our supplies. We take several bins of various hygiene items with us every week. And the lines that form at the back of our van for these items says it all. So how are we going to replenish our dwindling supplies? Well that call from the Francis House took care of that for us. Seems that they got their sizes reversed and we were going to be the recipients of about 12 crates of travel sized shampoo, large bars of soap, conditioner, lotion and toothpaste. Enough to last us quite a while. The nice thing here for me is that we don’t have to spend our time and resources looking (begging) for this stuff. We can focus on the more important stuff. The chariot stuff. See for me, it’s like this. I don’t have to do the paralysis by analysis thing. I don’t have to continually spend time wondering what the Lord’s will for my life is. I don’t have to worry about all the details of stuff and things. They just keep showing up. I don’t have to overcomplicate things. I can simply “run to the chariot” and let the Lord lead. That’s what it’s been about for me from the start. Getting out of the way and letting Him run the show. It is, after all, His show. And what a great show He put on today. Got to our “chariot” today and got to tell guys about His love. For them. Got to talk to Steve about his prayer time in the park this week and his need for a Spanish Bible so he can study at the shelter with one of his buddies. Got to talk with Terrance about his crack addiction and his need for a King James Version of the Bible, which we will pick up this week. Got to talk to John about his addictions and his love for the Lord. I got to watch my kids jump rope with other kids and some homeless guys, using an old string of Christmas lights. I get to do this stuff every week. Me. Why? I guess it’s my chariot.

One last thing that happened today. A guy shows up late. Native American. First he tells me his name is Jay. I get him a cup of soup. He’s been drinking, so the conversation is a little difficult. Shortly after that, as we are getting ready to leave, he approaches me again. This time his name is Joe. So JayJoe takes some money out of his pocket. Three dollars. Says this is difficult. I’m thinking this is going to be a cool moment. Is he going to make a donation? It’s happened a few times before where one of the guys has made a small, but significant, donation to us. I’m thinking this might happen here. He tells me he’s a man. I’m a man. I agree. We’re both men. Says it again…this is difficult for him. So here we go. He starts to hand me the money. He pauses…looks around and he says…”I need to make this $3 turn into $5”. I just laugh. Do I look like a magician? Don’t we all need to turn a little bit of money into a little more money? No dice JayJoe. That…is not a chariot. :)

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”- Colossians 3:12, 23-24

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

…”it matters to that one”…

The Enablers…

Just got back from “the” Wal-Mart. Needed a pair of boots. Size 13. For our friend Tony. Tony is a guy who needs help. Not from us, obviously. From everyone. From all of us. Tony represents what I guess I’d call the lost, homeless guy. The guy with maybe a bit of a mentally challenged existence and one who maybe falls through the cracks. We met Tony our very first Sunday I believe. Or pretty close thereabouts. We helped him get a pair of boots pretty soon thereafter. We’ve been blessed to be able to help Tony several times since then. In fact, I don’t even have to ask a size anymore. Where was he getting them before? I mean, in the past 16 months, I think we’ve been able to get him about 4 or 5 pairs of boots. He walks all day, best I can tell. And he is the single, dirtiest human I’ve ever met. I’m pretty sure he sleeps outside wherever he can. But when God looks at Tony, what do you think He sees? I think He sees a reflection of Something. And should Tony fall through the cracks? Shouldn’t there be a way for him to be in a better situation? Lots of questions for me around the lost, homeless guys today. Not so many answers…

Friday we had a little get together at our house. We have been gathering here the first Friday each month with some of the folks that volunteer their time and efforts downtown. First Fridays we call ‘em. Pretty original. :) We had about 20 people here Friday and we had a great evening. It allows us a little time to let down and get to know each other a little better in a more relaxed environment. It gets a little crazy downtown on Sundays, so it’s difficult to get to know the people that give so freely of their time to come down each Sunday and help. We have been blessed with an incredible group of people that do this with us each week and this is a great opportunity to spend a little time in fellowship. So I was talking to someone Friday who was explaining an encounter she had recently. She came in contact with an individual who just does not believe what we are doing is right. Enabling is the word he used. We are enabling “them” to continue in a lifestyle that they may never get out of. Thinks we should let the professional agencies handle this stuff. Now I could be wrong, but I don’t think a hot meal, a clean pair of socks, a clean shirt or new coat and maybe a Bible is going to enable anyone to stay mired in a bad circumstance. But if we are able to help a person out in the name of Jesus, then I guess we are guilty of enabling. Guilty as charged. But here’s the deal as I see it. We are simply another point of contact. Another avenue for a person to travel for whatever a couple of hours on a Sunday in a downtown park has to offer. The interesting thing about this fellow’s observation? He’s a Christian. How then does one come to the conclusion that this is an enabling situation? Are we enabling a guy like Tony to keep from getting a nasty case of frostbite by helping him with a clean pair of socks and a pair of boots? Aren’t we supposed to take care of each other? Especially the least of ‘em? It’s all confusing to me to hear that kind of response. But not really. I mean, people are certainly entitled to their opinion. No matter how crazy I think it might be. Enablers? C’mon man!! :)

Had an interesting conversation today with a fellow named LC. A few minutes into the conversation, I found out he was from Mississippi, he lives at the Sienna Francis House, and I worked for his uncle about 15 years ago at the downtown Campbell Soup plant. Just about a block from where we meet on Sundays. The plant is long gone now. Replaced by a performing arts center. LC is an interesting fellow. 54 year old African American gentleman. Seems like I meet someone every single week that I’ve not previously met. I’ve never seen LC on our corner before. I really hope I never see him again. He’s trying to get permanent housing. I pray that he does. That they all do. The odds are probably against that. But it is my prayer. That God will someday just blow me away and we’ll show up on that corner some Sunday with food for 100 or 150 and no one will be there. That would be extremely cool. Maybe we can, with God’s blessings, enable them all into housing and jobs. Enablers…I have to chuckle at that one.

I was talking to a fellow yesterday. Robin and I. along with Nick and Erin, had the opportunity to talk to a group of folks at Christ Community Church. A “how to bring your faith/Jesus into the workplace” conference. I only spoke for a couple of minutes. The context for me was pretty simple. How has this ministry impacted me, and how has it impacted those people I work with at Union Pacific? Or has it affected or impacted them at all? After I finished, we met a fellow we know who has been ministering to the poor and homeless for nine years. We’ve known him since at least last summer. He told us how angry he was with us when he first heard of what we were doing downtown on Sundays. Here he was trying to get these guys into the local churches and they were coming down to have lunch with us. Now I understand exactly where he was coming from . But I’m telling you right now, there are some of these guys that may never darken the door of a local church. So if that is the case, and I obviously don’t know that for sure, but if so, shouldn’t we take a little of it to them? The cool thing about our conversation yesterday? He’s now ok with our “enabling”. Maybe he sees that we are in for the duration? I’m not sure why the change of heart. I mean here’s the deal for me. We owe it to these ladies and gentlemen to bring the love of Christ to that corner each and every week. We have to. He tells us to. So now? This fellow is going to start going to the library across the street from where we meet and organize bible studies and such after we conclude our weekly activities. That I understand. What I don’t understand is fighting against the grain and forcing the square peg into a round hole. If these folks aren’t going to be in a church, shouldn’t we take it to ‘em, so to speak? Enable them to have a little of what we all want. A close, intimate relationship with our Savior. Enable them to have a chance for fellowship. Enable them to have a chance at a different community than maybe they are accustomed to. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll see that there is a way out. Because there really is only one Way out. And if I can be an enabler of that? Then I’m on board. This thing is not our doing. It’s His doing. Clearly.

Dear Lord….thank You for this day and thank You for this meal. And thank You for the opportunities You place in front of me each week. Those opportunities to be intentional about my love for You. Thank You with everything I have.

Signed...the enabler.

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

…”it matters to that one”…

…not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
2 Timothy 1:9

Thank You for this day…and thank You for this meal.

At my house, most evenings, and for lots of years, that's been a mainstay prayer at our dinner table. Christian started it some time back, when he was entirely too small to be talking that much. Yet for anyone who knows Christian, you know that boy was born to talk. So now Nick and Erin always start out their prayers with that simple phrase. Dear Lord, thank You for this day and thank You for this meal. This past week, we had the blessing of having my Mom stay with us as she convalesced from back surgery. She went home yesterday. I was sad to see her go, but knew she'd be ok. She is an amazing woman and it appears that all the prayers for a successful surgery and a quick recovery have been answered. She has a bit of a road ahead of her, but it sure looks like she is going to do well. So this week as we gathered around our dinner table each night and I listened to each of my kids thank God for our day and our meal, and thank God for having Grandma here with us, I had to thank God myself for the wonderful blessings in my life. I am indeed a blessed individual.

And today was amazing in so many ways. The weather was really weird this weekend. We had an absolutely beautiful day on Saturday. Temps in the 60s and just a great day. Today, the forecast was for a drop in the temps in the afternoon and snow in the evening. Only in Nebraska. And it is snowing as I type. And cold. From the 60s to the 20s in a matter of 24 hours. But this morning as I began my morning activities it was in the high 50s. Going to be a great day I thought to myself. Well, myself was right on the money in some aspects, just not from a weather standpoint. As the morning wore on, the winds kicked up and the temps began a rapid descent. By the time we got downtown, we realized we were probably all underdressed. Oh well. But what a banner day for doing the Lord's work. Seemed like everything went off like clockwork, in spite of my screw-ups. Christian and I decided to whip up a cooler of lemonade instead of hot chocolate. It's this transitional time of year that is the most difficult for me. So by the time we arrived downtown, I realized that was a bad choice. And I took it on the chin from lots of folks for the lemonade choice. And I forgot to bring the coffee creamer. No Half 'n Half? So we send Christian and Jessica up to Starbucks a block away to beg for some. And they come back with it. Mission accomplished. A little marriage of Starbuck's Half 'n Half and Scooters coffee. If they only knew…

So after we pray and everyone gets a bite to eat, we start putting out the clothing bins, handing out coats, socks, whatever else a person in need might need on a day like this. There's our friend St. Phillip. Wearing a light jacket with no shirt on underneath. This guy is a character and I have stories about Phillip. I'll save those for another day. So as the clothing bins are leaving the back of the trailer, a lady shows up. We exchange pleasantries, and she asks if we are the 'ones' who do this every Sunday. She's driven by and seen us before and saw our story on the news last week. Well, His story. Anyway, she says she was driving by and decided to stop and make a donation. :) Thanks Michelle. She has no idea, but she just funded a bus trip home to New Orleans for a fellow named Donald. Came here after Hurricane Katrina looking for a fresh start. Heard there was work here. For a variety of reasons, it didn't pan out. Now? Living at the Sienna Francis House. Homeless shelter. So her gracious donation funded a trip home for Donald. He leaves Friday morning and said he'd call when he arrived. We'll be praying for Donald and praying that God will continue to bless us in ways that make it possible for guys like Donald to go home. Wherever home may be. So that a guy doesn't end up in a strange city…homeless. Ever thought about what that might feel like? Hope I never find out…

Doug is a fellow we've known for a while now. Lives in a tent down by the river. I've mentioned him before. For the life of me, I cannot imagine how he does it. He's a pretty frail fellow and seems to be cold all the time. I wonder why. It has to wear on a guy to have to deal with the elements every single night. Can't imagine. So today, a fellow named Jason shows up. Now hopefully this will turn out to be a really, really cool thing. You see, Jason has just returned from his 4th tour of duty in Iraq. We're introduced and we chat a bit. He asks me if there are any veterans here? Any homeless veterans? You betcha. I could point out a few dozen probably. So first thing, he wants to make a little donation to our ministry. Awesome. But the really cool part? He wants to hook up with a veteran and take him home for the night. Take him to the mall and get him a new change of clothes. Says his wife has a big meal cooking at home. Wants to take him home for a nice, hot shower and a warm place to sleep. Do I know of anyone? Are you kidding me? Do I know of anyone!!?? Yeah, I know a bunch of anyones. But I have someone in mind. Doug. Navy veteran. He's your man. So we head over to the library and look for Doug. We finally find him on the second floor, back in the corner looking a little dazed. They hook up. Last I see of them, they are walking down the sidewalk. Can't wait to hear how this one turns out. Goodness. God was at work today. We were just the simple tools of His trade. That of bringing a little of His love to a street corner in downtown Omaha. Michelle, the very generous lady I mentioned earlier, seemed to be pretty impressed as she looked around. She said we were doing good work. I said we were doing the Lord's work. She agreed.

So again, what a day and what a meal. Another fellow, Jim, who was there for the first time today saw the story on the news and came as a result also. He and his friend Cory came down to pitch in. They jumped right in were very helpful. Shortly before he left, Jim and I were talking about how this got started and what it's become. The funny thing? He spoke the exact words I spoke so many months ago. He looked around and said this is so simple. Anyone can do this. He said he loved reading the Word, but he liked getting out and living It also. I remember thinking after we started going down to our weekly spot, how simple this really is. A meal, some clothing, fellowship. It's so stinking simple. Yet His involvement and His direction and guidance are so very evident. And so unbelievably not simple. It never ceases to amaze me how He gives us everything we need just when we need it. We serve an amazing God. I love Him from the depths of my soul. I simply cannot get enough of Sunday. I am so in awe of the people He sends. On both sides of the equation. And today? Beautiful day. A little windy and cold. A bit raw. It is March and we are "still" in Nebraska. GodforsakenNebraska. :) But I can't think of another place I'd rather be, except maybe if we could move this park and these people to a little town North and West of Charlotte, North Carolina. Concord, North Carolina, home of University City Fellowship. Where we learned how to go there. Where we became a little more equipped to do His work. Where we spent a few years in one of the most important times of our lives. Robin, the kids, me…not realizing that He was setting us up to do this. His work. What an amazing and unbelievable ride.

Today when we prayed? I thanked God for this day and this meal. This day allows us to go there. This meal allows us to go there in His name. Dear Lord...thank You for this day and thank you for this meal! From the mouths of babes…to the least of these. It's so simple. So very simple. Yet so very cool.

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

…"it matters to this one"…

Paying it forward….

What a crazy day!! The weather must bring out craziness this time of year. We had a great day of weather today and lots of craziness! Must have been all the way up in the 40s!! Heat wave for us! :) And muddy. Nick and some of his buddies were playing football on the corner in the mud. The snow was melting today just in time to make one big fat mess and just in time for a new, fresh coat that has been forecast for tomorrow. Nick and his buddy John were a complete mess by the time we left that corner today. It’s tough for me because I have to balance being a dad and trying to make sure that it all goes off without a hitch. The dad in me wants him to stop getting so darned muddy every week, but the kid in me remembers the fun. And our friends seem to love watching the kids play. Now we have lots of help when it comes to pulling this thing off every week. Most especially from God Himself, and also from all the great people that give up their Sunday afternoons to come and help. What an amazing group of people. What I’m finding anymore is if I just stay out of the way, things go pretty well! :) Great group of people all the way around.

This morning, Channel 6, the local NBC station, came to our house to do a story. A few weeks back, they ran an event in which 6 people or groups would receive $1000 grants to do their part to make the community a better place. Paying it forward, they called it. So Robin put together a voice over for one of our current videos, minus the music and she and the kids stated our case. People helping People, they called it. Well the day of judgment came and went and it looked like we would fall into the also-ran category. But a simple email told a different story. They had indeed selected our group as one of the six to receive the grant. The idea? How can you take the money, make it grow, and in turn, use it for the good of the community? So lots of people have come up with great ideas to grow the money. The next few months should be interesting. We have our work cut out for us. But the good thing is we have the Lord on our side. And with that? All things are possible. What an awesome opportunity!

So this morning, Tracy Madden and her photographer show up to see what happens at our house on a Sunday morning. It was pretty cool having them here. They got footage of the kids doing their thing, asked lots of questions and captured our activities for, I believe, the Tuesday (2-26-08) 10:00 p.m. newscast. The other cool thing is they came down and filmed our activities on the corner of 14th and Douglas. Several interviews later, they were gone. Should be interesting to see how it comes out. The idea, from my perspective is to once again raise a little awareness. Anyone that wants to come and help is always welcome. Anyone that wants to come and serve, be served, whatever, all are welcome.

Today’s cast of characters, in regards to other memorable happenings, once again from my perspective, were Tom and Mary, Mustafa and one other fellow whose name escapes me. The one thing that the temporary break in the weather did was bring out some of our friends who had been hibernating for the winter. People we hadn’t seen in weeks showed up today. Andrew, Courtney, Johnny D, and lots of others. Haven’t seen Johnny in months and here he was today. And shocked that I remembered his name. That always cracks me up. Some of the guys that we’ve come to know are funny that way. Remember a guy’s name? Man, that’s almost instant street credibility with some of these guys. So Johnny was shocked that I remembered him after all this time. The thing he fails to remember is I went to grade school with his niece. That kind of connection makes it a little easier to remember a guy’s name.

So at one point, as things were winding down, a fellow shows up with a split lip. I mean a nasty, split lip. He wasn’t feeling too much pain anyway, but it was a pretty bad gash. Someone had just clocked him and he was bleeding pretty nicely. Now we’ve never had a fight on our corner (yet) but this guy was as close as we’ve come. It actually happened a couple of blocks away. So we’re trying to help him get cleaned up a bit. Right about that time, Mustafa wanders up. I’ve seen him before, but this was the first time I’ve talked to him. And a first happened for me today. Stay with me here. Mustafa and the other fellow almost got into it and I’m once again running interference. Minor skirmish. No harm, no foul. So Mustafa is from Africa. Older fellow, probably in his late 50s? As the dust settles, he grabs my hand and say come on. In a bit of a hurried walk down the sidewalk, he’s leading me somewhere. I stop him after about a half block and ask him where we are going? He says he has a bottle down around the corner and he’s going to give me a drink!! At thing point I’m laughing pretty well. No thanks Mustafa. No drink for me. And it was almost like he caught himself and immediately starting calling me pastor. He speaks with a very thick accent and very fast. Have to really focus to catch what he’s saying. So he looks back toward the van and trailer and it dawns on him that we probably aren’t going to be having a drink on this Sunday afternoon. Not the two of us anyway. And he must have said the word pastor 20 times. And I laughed with him and told him 20 times no. Not the pastor. Just the messenger my friend. In his mind, we were going to knock one back. I’ll pray for him instead.

I got a chance to pray with Tom and Mary today. Now that was an opportunity. Tom is a guy I’ve mentioned before. Was in an auto accident and lost his family and his eye. Wanted to show me his glass eye once. I declined. So they are having a tough time, but they want to change. Mary told me she “loves her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ”. If she said it once, she said it 5 times. Tom seems to have a pretty severe problem with alcohol. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him sober to be honest. But Mary seems to be one that might be strong enough to kick him square in the rear and get him going. Who knows? We had a great conversation around that and he told me that he wanted to change. It was a chance for me to be intentional and let him know that he had to do it. Not just talk about it. And he needed the Lord. They promised to come to our Bible Study on Tuesday. We prayed about it all. The desperation with some of these folks is so apparent at times. They want out. But how? Obviously not alone. We are getting chances now to be so much more intentional about our faith and our love for Christ with folks. It was an amazing opportunity for me with Tom and Mary. They couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t get enough of it. It was good. I pray that they make it out of the shelter and into housing. The road ahead for them is impossibly full of obstacles. The kind of obstacles that deter folks from making it. But with the Lord.? They have a chance. I’ll pray for that.

So are we paying it forward? I certainly hope so. Time will tell. A weird thing had been happening for me as of late. A bit of complacency had crept in. Partly, I think, because of the want to just get through the winter. Winters here are tough. The physical needs increase dramatically. So it seems at times as if lots of or time is spent tending to those physical needs on a Sunday. People seem to want to eat and run, so to speak. I can’t blame ‘em. The relational needs are still there, but they tend to get brushed back a little. The nice thing? They know we are coming. When it’s 10 below zero? Not much relational stuff happening at that temp. When the thermometer gets above freezing? We get lots more opportunities. The cold winter months allow us the chance to be there no matter what. The coming spring and summer months will allow us the time to go deeper. Be more intentional even yet. I look forward to the coming months. Can’t wait to pay it forward a little more. We’ve been blessed. I’ve been blessed. Not a week goes by that I don’t realize how blessed I am in a ministry such as this. Profound things are happening in my family and in my life. For that reason alone, I have to pay it forward.

Peace and have a great and blessed week!

…”it matters to that one”… :)

Anxiety or …

Seems every Sunday morning I experience this weird feeling. It kind of creeps up on me in the early morning hours. Just weird. And I don’t know why or where it comes from. Or I guess I do. It’s a feeling of anxiety. Now it’s never really anywhere near overwhelming. But it’s there. Lurking. Bringing on the questions. What will the day be like? What is waiting for us on that corner today? What states of intoxication will we find? What other issues will we come up against? And some Sunday mornings it is stronger than others. This morning, for instance wasn’t too bad. Just a little hint. Some mornings? It can really rear its head. Just a funny observation. Because as the morning wears on and we do our thing, it goes away. And as we make the trip downtown, it is all but gone. Then it’s time to get the game face on for His work. And that’s when the good stuff begins.

Had an awesome conversation today with a fellow named Steve. Steve has a story, like all of us. Probably in his mid to late 40s I’d guess? Got mixed up in meth and other stuff a few years back. Been clean for 14 months. Had a pretty strong conviction about never getting involved with that stuff again. Never is a long time. I know. It’s a deal I’ve seen first hand. So back in the midst of it all, Steve lost his house, job, car, and everything else that seemed to matter. Those things that seem to matter to all of us. His current address? 1702 Nicholas St., Omaha, NE. The Sienna Frances House. Homeless shelter. Ever been in a homeless shelter? I mean really been in one? If you are reading this and have never been to one, do yourself a favor and visit one. I don’t mean just go and visit. I mean find one and get the nickel tour. Whatever it takes, go serve a dinner, do whatever. But go and see what a shelter is like. So that’s Steve’s home now. But the thing about Steve? He knows Christ. I mean deeply knows. He was raised in a Christian Scientist environment. But he met a pastor a while back that challenged him to follow Christ. It worked. He’s in. We have a table we use for Bibles and New Testaments and things of that nature. I see Steve there almost weekly. In fact I was taking some pictures a couple of weeks ago and inadvertently caught him in the act.

Today I had a chance to really talk with Steve. He’s been involved in a Bible study with some guys that have been coming down to help. They go over to the Omaha Public Library right across the street from where we meet and spend a half hour or so every week. It’s a very cool thing that has happened recently. He also wants to come to our Tuesday Community groups. But for today, we had a chance to chat about stuff. How he got into his current situation? What are his plans? Where are you in the overall picture? So we had great conversation. He seems to have a pretty strong faith. It’s so interesting, because I made what probably seemed like a ridiculous statement. He told me he’s probably had opportunities to get out of the shelter. But for whatever reason, it just hasn’t happened. I said “what if that’s your cross?” What if He wants you there, in the middle of what must seem like hell at times, giving witness to others about His greatness? What if? Now I clarified it with him by making sure he understood that in no way was I saying he was in a good situation. But what if? What if it was all part of the plan?

He said he’s wanted to talk to me for a while now, about a lot of things. How we do what we do? How we manage to always have enough food. How we mange to make it down every week. All that stuff. And we prayed. Steve and I, at the back of the trailer on a raw, windy, damp February day on a street corner in downtown Omaha. Steve led. He prayed for our ministry and for the Francis House. He prayed that God would lead us on our journey together. I told him later that a great friend of ours had prayed for us. Prayed that God would place a strong, homeless Christian in our path. Someone that could help us, help them in His name. For His glory. In His honor. And here’s Steve. Chance? Who knows. I told him maybe we should pray and see where God leads us. So we did. I was blessed on that corner today. In more ways than I could imagine. And it had nothing and everything to do with a cup of soup. So where from here with Steve? Who knows? Guess we’ll find out soon enough…

A couple of personal notes. My Mom is having back surgery on Tuesday. If you are so inclined, she and I would welcome any and all prayers in that regard. It’ll be a bit of a tough recovery, but she’s a tough cookie. If anyone can bounce back from this quickly, it’s Mom. Her surgery is at 11:30 on Tuesday. I’d so appreciate your prayers for her!

One other thing. Christian and I have been talking about putting a website together for a while now. Well, it’s out there. http://www.starfishministry.com/. Check it out. It’s a work in progress. But the cool thing? We got to kind of work on it together. And he did a great job. I love the fact that all my kids are involved in this ministry in one way or another. I was talking to a couple of fellows downtown today. John, Melvin, Paul and I were having a bit of conversation and I told them how unbelievably blessed I am as a father and husband. I have great kids, an awesome wife and I don’t deserve any of it. And now? I get to watch my oldest son become a young man and do things like this. What a blessing. And I get to go downtown every week and experience great fellowship with my family and great people like Steve and all the other great people that cross our paths. And my oldest boy is now Christian, the starfishministy.com webmaster. :)

1 John 3 16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

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

How does 5° = -11°?

Today the temperature was 5°. But the “feel like” temp was -11°. Is there really a difference between 5° or -11°? Minus 11 degrees. Are you kidding me? Do you know what happens at minus 11 degrees? Snot freezes. Half ‘n Half coffee creamer freezes. Your standard house cleaners that one would use to clean a table after serving a few of our favorite, diehard friends freezes. Everything freezes. Did I mention that snot freezes at that temperature? It does. And so does everything else. I sometimes wonder if God isn’t testing us. He must have a sense of humor. Has to. Because the only way we’d go downtown in this kind of weather is to see what kind of nutty people might show up, us included. We know some of our friends live in tents down by the river. I asked Tom today if he was still outside or back outside. He has a “waterside residence” down by the mighty Missouri River. I know that lately he’s been staying indoors at the Francis House. So today I checked to see if he’s gone back out yet. Me – “Tom, you back outside yet?” Tom – “You nuts?” I just laughed and said yeah…I’m nuts. I must be to venture out on days like this. When absolutely everything freezes. Fortunately, we have a propane cooker to keep food warm for a while. They have to eat quickly though or…you guessed it, it freezes. 11 degrees below zero. That’s insane. Funny thing though? They still show up. I have no doubt that I’d be wimping out in a shelter somewhere. Not these guys. They’re coming for some good fellowship I suppose. Good food. Good stuff. Good times in His name. God’s good blessings. Amazing.

Jean comes down to help every week. I mentioned previously that we graduated together recently. Her son called Nick last night and asked if he was going to the picnic on Sunday? The picnic? Has ol’ Nick perplexed. He looks at Robin and asks if we’re going to a picnic on Sunday? Well, duh Nick. We go to one every Sunday. Just because it’s going to be 11 DEGREES BELOW ZERO doesn’t mean we’ll skip out on this one. Just funny to me how different people view this thing that happens every Sunday. Nick’s buddy John views it as a picnic. So do I. A walk in the park, if you will. Just better bundle up for days like this. And there were guys there without coats. I’m stunned when I see that. Never ceases to amaze me that someone would even venture outdoors in that kind of weather without a coat…or gloves…or a hat? But they do. And God usually blesses us with the provisions to make sure they are taken care of. I simply take for granted that my family is taken care of when it comes to these things. It is heart wrenching to see someone there in need…to see them so cold they are shaking….to see them so hungry…to see them so hungry for a relationship…with Christ. Because deep down that is the only thing that will save any of us from ourselves. I’ve proven time and again that when I think I have any of this figured out, I am humbled rather quickly.

Met a guy today by the name of Chris. Just go into town from Des Moines. I think he said he was originally from St. Louis. He’d been living on the river in Des Moines. Well, Chris, I know a couple of guys in that neighborhood. Have a couple of friends that hang out in the neck of the woods. Bob and Al. Great guys. He knew ‘em. Amazing what a small world we live in. Chris came to Omaha with a young lady. They got here Friday night. He hasn’t seen her since. So here he was. In need. IN 11 DEGREES BELOW ZERO weather. Man. Could have picked a better time to come to Omaha. Like Summner?

Talked to my friend John today. John is homeless by choice. I’ve written about him a few other times. Used to live under a bridge. Been staying at the Francis House the past few weeks. Been sober the past few weeks also. Seems there was a death in the family recently. His sister in Arkansas wanted him to come. He wants to. Just having trouble getting there. John is a fascinating fellow. I’d love to sit and pick his brain someday just for the stories. He’s the guy that I used to watch go through the line over and over to fill a jar with soup. I watched him one day go through about 3 or 4 times and pour his cup into a jar. I finally took the jar from him and filled it up. He was making me tired just watching him. Robin got him a thermos the next week so he wouldn’t have to work so hard and his soup would stay warm. Made sure to get a picture with John today. Could be gone soon and he says if he goes, he “ain’t coming back”. Can’t blame him. Don’t think it gets to 11 below zero in Arkansas.

Got a couple of interesting phone calls this week. First one was from a fellow named Scott. Scott left a while back to do some work in Vegas. He called earlier in the week and talked to Robin. Just wanted to let us know he was ok and that things were going pretty well. He’s in South Dakota currently, working. Has a place and seems to be doing well. We see so many people come and go. It’s impossible to know how they are all doing. Where they’ve all gone. Impossible to know if the love we share for Christ ever makes a dent in some of that tough street armor that we see so often. But every once in a while we get a phone call or a message from someone we’ve met on that corner to let us know that they are doing ok. Got a call from Gabe last night. Gabe was a mess when we first met him well over a year ago. He was a hustler for sure. Not in a mean, intentional way I don’t think. Just a survivalist. Gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose. I was always a little skeptical. And then he disappeared. Resurfaced a few weeks ago. Now the last time I saw him, he said he was battling cancer. Sometimes we hear stories and I’m not real sure what to believe sometimes. But he definitely looked the part. Thin, frail…the works. So he shows up a few weeks ago and he seems to be doing great. Called me last night and just wanted to let us know that he’s doing well. Working, has a place to stay and seems to be taking the steps necessary. And says that the Lord must have plans for him, or else he wouldn’t have made it this far. And sober. That‘s always good. Tough to break through when the alcoholism is raging. But when a guy is sober? Good stuff. God stuff. Can’t wait to see what God has in store for Gabe.

Been listening to a lot of the new David Crowder CD lately. New CD is called Remedy. What a great collection of songs. Two of my favorites are Remedy and Surely We Can Change Something. Remedy is about the only thing that can save us from ourselves. The Remedy. God. Our Savior. Pretty simple concept really, yet so very complex. He is indeed the Remedy. But on the flip side, we can also be the remedy. To a busted and broken world. I love that song. But I think I like the closing song on this CD just a little better. They lyrics are so cool. I’ll just post them here. It’s a pretty profound lyric and I can do it no justice. Blessed it what comes to mind. But the gist is that we can all do something to change the silliness of our world. Surely we can change something…in His name…for His Glory…in His Honor. Can’t we?

The song…
***************
And the problem is this
We were bought with a kiss
But the cheek still turned
Even when it wasn’t hit

And I don’t know
What to do with a love like that
And I don’t know
How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something

And the problem it seems
Is with you and me
Not the Love who came
To repair everything

And I don’t know
What to do with a love like that
And I don’t know
How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let us bring grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Let us be brave
Where there is misery
Let us bring them relief
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Oh, surely we can change
Something

Oh, the world’s about to change
The whole world’s about to change
***************

So…it was bitter cold today. But I felt like we showed up. In His Name. Because it’s what He’d have us do. No matter the reason we might want to stay in the comfort of our own homes. It shouldn’t be about our comfort. And in spite of the weather, we had a good day today. In His presence. And I love Him with all my heart, mind and soul. I’m blessed beyond anything I deserve. And I probably deserve a few days in 11 degrees below zero. Definitely. Now Robin? Well that’s a different story. Have I mentioned lately how much she enjoys Nebraska winters? :)

Peace and have a great and blessed week!

“…it matters to that one”… :)

16212?

16212 days. Have any idea what happens in 16212 days? A lot. A couple of weeks ago, a young fellow by the name of Bryan came to me with the following. Said “Dave, I know your birthday is September 1st – what year were you born?” I told him 1963. He then comes up with this. “Dave, you were born 16212 days ago. It was a Sunday.” Now I obviously have no way of verifying this on a downtown street corner, so I write it down. I think to myself, “self, this guy is nuts”. Well, I get home and check it out. Sure enough. 16212 days ago was indeed a Sunday and it was the day of my birth. How in the world did Bryan know that? And how is a guy that is has this phenomenal way with numbers living inches above the poverty line?

Bryan’s just been coming around for a few months. He’s a different kind of fellow. First of all, he has a speech impediment. Stutters. Pretty badly. Difficult phone conversationalist. I know. We’ve tried. So he’s been calling. A lot. And texting. And with Bryan, that is the preferred method for obvious reasons, just maybe not quite so much. So he’s calling asking for things. Help. Just got an apartment. Needs everything. Yesterday, I brought some furniture to his apartment. Very modest place. Upstairs in an old house in midtown Omaha. Little over 500 square feet. I helped him get the furniture up to his place and he was grateful. I left his place wondering what he’d need next? He was trying to get a sofa bed from a fellow he knows. The guy calls me one day last week. Sort of gives me the lowdown on Bryan. I always wonder how these guys show up on our corner? What leads them there? In Bryan’s case, he was in a motorcycle accident when he was 14. Severe head trauma. And now? Living just above the poverty level and just a step ahead of homelessness. Well, apparently Bryan might have other issues as well. Don’t we all? I noticed a couple of empty liquor bottles in his apartment. Now, I’ve never seen him intoxicated. Some of the guys that come downtown on Sundays, well they are almost always in various states of intoxication. Not this guy. Just an observation while I was unloading the furniture up that narrow flight of stairs. Today, as the day wore on, there seemed to be a bit of tension among a few of the folks on our corner. Someone at one point told me that a few guys were getting ready to jump a guy. I told him he had to do better than that. Who and who? That guy over there he said. Well, there were about 100 guys over there. C’mon Lester, who are you talking about? We walked over to where he was pointing and eventually he pointed out the fellow that was maybe in a little trouble. It was Bryan. According to a few of the guys, he’s a known offender. Made the list. And he’s maybe just a little different. So I’m asking one of the guys if he knows this to be a fact. And if so, why isn’t he on the list? Because I try to know who’s on the list. It’s a fact that we have lots of different issues on that corner. The usual suspects. Alcoholism, drug use, felons, etc. And the big elephant in the room. Sex offenders. We know. We try to stay aware and keep on our toes in regards to this. Maybe he wasn’t on the list because his offense occurred before he was a certain age? Maybe he’s not on the list at all? I don’t know. But does that mean we treat him differently? I don’t think so. Just have to be a little more aware and let him know of the boundaries that need to exist, I guess. New territory for us…

So today, it snowed on us. Not a lot, and it wasn’t all that cold. If that makes sense. It was a wet snow. Melting pretty fast. Making a mess of things. We have a canopy that we can put up on these kinds of days and we rarely use one. We did today. Kept the people serving and the food clean and dry. Great chicken tortilla soup today and our friends raved about it…

Harry was back today. Been a few weeks since we saw him. Been in jail for a few weeks for trespassing. This is a guy who fought in Viet Nam. A Veteran. He was still there when everyone left today. We talked for a bit. As I squatted down to chat with Harry, I kind of looked into his eyes. It was a deep darkness and sadness that was there. We talked about not giving up. He said he wouldn’t. I’m not so sure. Been barred from both of the shelters in the downtown area. Had a place to stay for the night, and was going to talk with Mike, the director of the Sienna Francis House on Monday to see about getting into a treatment program. I pray that he’ll make it there on Monday. Harry has much to offer, and needs a chance. But he has to take it.

Talked to a couple of other fellows today. Roger, a shorter fellow and Leo the atheist. Now I didn’t know until today that Leo was of that mindset. I do now. I asked him why? Said it wasn’t possible. What isn’t possible? None of this. How is God possible? And then we were interrupted. Now, Leo the atheist was feeling very little pain, so I’m not sure our conversation would have gone real far. So how is God possible? I’m not sure I’ve ever really hade this discussion with anyone before, not at this level anyway. It’ll be interesting over the next few times that I see Leo the atheist. I want to see why He’s not possible? I want to know what Leo the atheist believes and why?

For some reason, I’ve had a couple of opportunities to spend some good one on one time with Nick over the last couple of days. The two of us went to a movie on Saturday. The strangest thing happened. We went to a dollar theater. Both of us got in for two bucks. What a deal. It’s an older theater in South Omaha. I know that a few of our friends from the homeless community go there occasionally. We sat down in the darkened theater and I smelled it. The smell of homelessness. If you’ve ever smelled it, you never forget it. It was the strangest thing, because I kept looking around and saw no one that looked the part. It was like the guy was sitting right next to me. But nothing. And Nick smelled it too. My only thought leaving the theater was that this would be something that would be with us for the duration. We are becoming intertwined with it. This thing called homelessness. And this morning Nick was out in the garage keeping me company, helping and doing a little talking. Lots of talking actually. But one thing we did together was pray. We prayed over a pair of new sneakers. And Nick led. That God would bless those sneakers. This simple pair of sneakers for a guy named John. That God would bless them and bless John. It was a simple moment in the garage, but it was so symbolic to me in the bigger picture. Nick is a kid with lots of feelings. And when he gets inquisitive, he goes there. He was asking me all sorts of questions this morning. About my past. About my past vices. Innocent questions, because he really didn’t know the answers. And Nick is 10. So he doesn’t need to know every gory detail. But I shared with him that I did some things I’m not proud of . Things that dishonored God. I explained, to the best of my abilities, how difficult it is for some of our friends. I know. Been there in some cases. In Bryan’s case? Not so much. But does he deserve any less because of his choices and situation? Don’t think so. And does Harry deserve less because he’s had a rough life and continues to make bad choices? Nope. None of them are any different than any of us, just different circumstances. In 16212 (actually 16226 now…) days, a fellow can make lots of bad choices and find himself in lots of different circumstances.

We were blessed to honor God today. Even in the snow, with a hundred or so of our friends, we were blessed to be in the presence of our Lord. What a great day. What a blessing it is to serve people like Bryan and Harry alongside a great kid like Nick. Hopefully? We’ll do it for another 16212 days, the Good Lord willing.

"If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship....Proverbs 14:31 (GNT)

Peace and have a great and blessed week!

“…it matters to that one…”