Christmas Eve downtown/2012

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign for you:  you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger".  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" -Luke 2:8-13  ---Just a reminder that the first people who were told of the birth of Christ worked the night shift!!!

Last year Christmas fell on a Sunday and I was able to spend a couple of hours that day with my friends downtown.  This year, because it's leap year, Christmas skipped Monday and will fall on Tuesday.  So after sleeping away most of Sunday, I went downtown this morning (Monday). 

When I got off the freeway at Alameda I saw one of my friends, John Mellon, on the corner of the freeway exit.  He waved to me and came over to the car while I was waiting at the red light.  It had rained pretty hard Sunday night and into the morning hours so it was still dark, dreary and very wet out.  When he came over to greet me he had me feel his sweater.  It was soaked and cold.  Since I hadn't gotten the food yet and since I only had moments before the light would change, I couldn't give him anything right then.  I told him I'd come back by later which I did, but he wasn't there!  I drove around to some of 'his spots', but never did find him.  I'm sure I'll hear about it the next time I see him.

Although some of the other regulars weren't around this morning, I did get to see Don.  I took his picture but couldn't seem to get it from my phone to this blog. Perhaps I'll get it posted later.   He is coming along quite well with his bible reading and we got to talk for a while under the freeway on ramp where he's staying.  It sure is noisy there though.  You'll have to trust me, but from the picture you could see how cold it was from the way he was bundled up.

One of the pure joys of the day involved a brief encounter along 17th St and Main.  It's a one-way street next to the I-10 freeway.  I could only stop on the other side of the street from where "Miss Mary" was standing next to her shopping cart.  She seemed busy looking at something in her hands, but she came over to the car after I got her attention.  When I offered her some food I was greeted with the biggest and most beautiful smile ever!  She was elderly and missing many teeth, but her gratitude and thankfulness were as pure as it gets.  What a privilege and blessing to serve her.

Mark Twain was once asked if the things in the bible that he didn't understand bothered him.  His response was as insightful and down-to-earth as he was.  He said, "It's not the things that I don't understand that bother me, it's the things that I do understand that bother me."  Throughout the bible, in the Old and New Testaments we are told to care for widows, orphans and the poor.  These are people near and dear to God's heart.  There are many other groups of people in need as well.  The families and friends of those children lost in Connecticut a week ago, the victims of hurricane Sandy, the people who are facing their first Christmas without a spouse or child lost in the military are all near and dear to God's heart.  Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."  Also, when Jesus began his ministry he said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to bring good news to the poor...and to set free the oppressed."  Where there is hurting, God's offer of the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) is there.  We as people who carry the Spirit of God with us are to be His feet, hands and speak His words to meet the needs of these people.  To all I met downtown today and to all who would read this.....Merry Christmas!!!  Praise God, Christ came into the world to save you and me.

PS.  As I was writing this blog at another Jack in the Box near home, I told one of the guys working here who was cleaning the dining area about how the shepherds who worked the night-shift (as he and I do) were the first to hear the good news of Christ's birth.  It took a minute or so for him to get the significance of the night-shift people being the first to hear since we often feel like the "forgotten ones".  As he finished cleaning up the dining area and was about to go back behind the counter he said to me, "You know, that makes me feel better already!"  This time it was the words of God that gave comfort.  All I can say to that is Hallelujah  -- Praise the Lord!!