A truly beautiful experience

So, I have spoken a little about 30 hour famine and hunger lately.  (ok... actually a bunch).  It is amazing to me how God puts little experiences in our midst at the right time.  


As church ended yesterday, one of the ladies was in the Narthex and told me there was a gentleman in the Parish Hall who wanted to come to our Healing Service last night at 5:30 but would need a ride to the bus station.  Sundays after church are crazy busy and I almost forgot about him in the 10 minutes it took me to get over to the Parish Hall.  What with Souper Bowl of Caring stuff going on all weekend and my normal craziness of the day, I was glad he was standing visibly amongst the people.  


His name was John.  He was probably in his early to mid 60s.  He had a very gentle face.  Somehow he had stumbled onto our church's website and newsletter page to see that we were having a Service of Healing and Communion during our 5:30 worship.  He explained, then, that he had been battling cancer and was in remission.  He is heading up North today (North Dakota) and needed some extra prayers before heading North.  It was then that he explained a little about his past 5 months.  (the rest he explained before the worship time).  He was homeless.  Over the 5 months he had gone from shelter to shelter and hotel to hotel.  He had spent some nights in a laundromat that was next to a day labor site.  


He wanted me to point him toward somewhere he could "hang out" til the evening service.  I stashed his belongings (one very small suitcase and a small green bag -- all of his belongings).  He walked down to McDonalds to get some food.  And I finished my day.  


I was so tired and exhausted from the weekend that there was a part of me, a very selfish part, that just wanted to send him on his way.  There was a part of me that did not want to give up my precious "me" time to deal with this nuisance.  Something called to me to reach out to this man and give him time.  


When I got to church last night, there was John.  He and I spoke further about his last 5 months.  He came to San Antonio from up north in October.  He went through cancer treatment.  He started out in hotels along I35 but then when money got tight, he gave the shelters a chance.  We talked about the Salvation Army shelter.  We talked about the SAMM shelter.  We also talked about the difficulty of finding temporary labor due to the fact that the shelters in San Antonio are downtown but most of the labor sites are in other parts of the city.  We talked about the challenges of city transportation (I have a friend who has to rely on public transportation and all of her woes of that experience).  


He talked about his journey that morning from downtown Sunday.  He arrived in Converse at 9 that morning. He happened into another church that had a 9:30 worship.  He worshiped with them and they transported him over to our church.  After he had left CTK that morning, he walked down to McDonalds for a bite to eat.  He then saw there was a Family Dollar and browsed there and picked up something he needed.  He then told me about the amazing pet store across the street from church.  He browsed there for about an hour and then had another cup of coffee at McDonalds.  Jody, after worship gave him a ride back to the bus stop so that he could get back down to the Salvation Army shelter before it closed at 9pm.  


It was a remarkable experience.  He was excited about the possibility of worshipping with us last night.  He was delighted that Holy Communion would be part of the service (he did not expect that).  He was comforted by the words of healing and renewal.  He was so gentle and so full of faith.  


I am reminded of Matthew 25:35-36, 40


For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.  "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
This weekend the youth and I talked alot about everyone having a story.  People have many reasons that they end up where they are.  People's circumstances can take them to the lowest places in the world.  The remarkable thing is that through all of this man's struggles, he still had a calm peace about him that I have not seen in a long time.  He had a faith that radiated from his soul.  


So what will today bring my friend, John?  When he wakes up he is going to look for work one more time in San Antonio.  If he does not find work, he will get on a greyhound bus and head to North Dakota.  He has a simple cabin there and has a job lined up.  His cancer is in remission and his spirit is strong.  


Thank God for my friend John.  I pray that God continues to bless and keep him safe.  


I truly saw the face of Christ yesterday.  


AMEN