Downtown 3/26/2012

"...know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:3-4

Due to weather issues, I couldn't get downtown this week until Monday evening. I arrived at the Jack in the Box a little too early to get started. I had wanted to start down near the skid row area and pick up where I left off last week. So I waited in my car for a little while in the parking lot. There had been a man standing by the front door of the restaurant and I figured he was hitting people up for help as they came in or went out. After a short time he came over to the car and talked to me. I guess it was time to get started regardless of what my plan was or not. I had some crackers and bananas in my car and gave him some of them along with a bottle of water as I walked in, promising him something better when I came out. While I waited inside, he eventually came inside to use the restroom, just about the time the burgers were ready. I gave him a couple of them. His name was Larry and he was originally from New Orleans, but had been out here for thirty years by now. He was diabetic. I prayed with him inside the Jack in the Box by the door before leaving him.

Most of the next hour and a half was spent driving to some of the regular spots where I usually see homeless folks, but like last week they were hard to find. I drove over to Lincoln Park and was wondering what happened to Cesar, who I hadn't seen in a long time and there he was at the corner of N. Main and Mission Rd begging from the people stopped at the signal. He still doesn't speak much English, so there has never been much conversation between us. Back in the downtown area, I saw Willie close to the skid row area. I've never seen him that close to that area. He didn't recognise me at first in the car I'm in now. He was wanting to know when we would be having a barbecue again (Aren't we all?).

Well I pretty much stayed in the area just south of skid row for the rest of the trip. Last fall when I was focusing on this area, there was a couple staying on Wall St every time I would go down there. Their names were Deena and Edward. Well, Monday I saw Edward but not Deena. I asked where she was and he mumbled something about her "having to take care of some stuff". I didn't see her there last week when I drove by either. Just down the block a ways from Edward I met Charles. He was much more welcoming and appreciated the food even though he only had one tooth. He said he could recognize a real christian by the warmth generated in his heart when he spoke to them. He also wanted to know if I was from the South. Shortly before leaving I was stopped at a signal and an emergency vehicle was approaching from behind me with it's siren blaring. I decided to just turn right and avoid it. As I drove around the block, I found a man named Bobby pushing his cart. I asked him if he needed some food and when he said yes I said, "Well let me give you some before they come and take us away" (in reference to the siren's blaring). We both giggled over that one. Bobby was more than welcoming of the prayer too. Well, with one burger left, (I think they gave me an extra one at the Jack in the Box) I gave it away to a woman named Tisha who was just down the street from Bobby. She looked and sounded very hardened from spending a long time on the street.

Life on the street there where I was finishing up, was beginning to shape up about the way I expected it to. That's kind of why I was waiting in the parking lot of the Jack in the Box before getting started. As night begins to fall, people are staking out their 'spot' for the night. People are easier to find and help. If they are going to bed hungry, as many are, they are very receptive to help at this time as well as being open to being prayed for. I had been able to help several others between Willie and Edward at this time. It's a great opportunity to show God's kindness and love to them.

So you may be wondering why I quoted the verse at the beginning. Not every trip and certainly not every encounter is memorable. In fact, this trip was about as non-descript as they come. However, I have learned that through the 'average' trips, you built up a relationship with some of these people, that enables you to have some credibility later. That credibility as a person who cares about them, becomes the opportunity to share the deeper issues of faith that really have the lasting impact that we're looking and praying for. For now, it may be just a chance meeting. Next time or the next time after that the relationship may begin. --Until that week. John