Monday, August 27, 2012

Downtown 8/26/2012

Rejoice in the Lord always... Always be gentle with others...  Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.  Then because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand.  And this peace will control the way you think and feel.--Philippians 4:4-7


It is difficult to describle in words how moving this trip was.  On the surface I only went down two alleys and under one freeway, yet I handed out close to twenty burgers and about the same number of chilled bottles of water.  Since these trips are more a spiritual journey and stem from a desire to "be close to where God is working", the fact that I prayed with just about everyone I met with made this trip the success it was as much as anything.  I also need to say that these trips also require prayer ahead of time too.  I was unable to make the trip last week.  I had been suffering from an abcess tooth and after taking some antibiotics for about a day and a half the pain was subsiding, but the lack of sleep the previous couple of nights had left me exhausted.  I must say as I approach another birthday in a couple of months, age has a tendency to talk a little louder than it used to.  I can come up with all kinds of reasons to stay home and rest.  Yet, if I don't go (when I've been called) who will go in my place?  Who will pray with these people and tell them God loves them?  It has taken me these three plus years of going to have a place in these peoples' hearts where they not only trust me, but know I'm there to hear and listen to their troubles.  Because they know I have a life that is not devoid of problems and burdens, they know I can relate to them. 

One of the men Sunday, goes by the name of Santa Barbara.  He was with a woman when I met them in the first alley.  I was helping another man a couple of hundred yards away when he saw me and told the woman, "That's John, he'll have something for us!"  They waited for me to come down to them.  Santa Barbara started telling me he was recently released from the hospital where he found out he had a tumor on his kidney.  He had been feeling weak and dizzy and started bleeding profusely.  He ended up in a hospital for a week.  They are scheduling surgery in another week or so.  Knowing that he is facing an uncertain future and that that can be unsettling I told him of a recent diagnosis of my own.  Then the three of us prayed as I gathered the two of them in my arms.  I acknowledged  "Lord we know these bodies wear-out and they have defects, but you are the Great Physician.  You can heal us or you can use this as a means to draw us closer to you."  I continued to pray for His presence and comfort in our lives.  When I finished, Santa Barbara started praying.  He thanked God for me!  He thanked God for me being so faithful as to keep coming down there and ministering to them.  I was so humbled.  To think I almost listened to that voice that was telling me to stay home and rest, that no one will miss me down there! 

I went over to the next alley and saw my friends, Willie, Tara and Dave.  A couple of others came by while I talked with them.  They always ask how my son is doing and are concerned for my well being.  We talked about God's power over human events and how important prayer is.  Just before I left them I remembered and shared with them a recent bible teacher teaching about the story of Hannah and her son Samuel.  You may recall Samuel was promised and dedicated to the service of God before he was born.  He grew up with Eli the High Priest in the temple.  Eli had two sons who didn't care about the things of God and their jobs as priests, but cared more about the things of this world and satisfying their lustful desires.  This is the environment that Samuel grew up in.  This bible teacher said despite this environment, Samuel grew up favored by God because he had a praying mother!  I'll always remember this example when it comes to my family and friends and I'll be praying for them!

Well, I had given out all the burgers and only had three bottles of water left.  I decided to go by one of my regular stops under the I-10 freeway by San Pedro.  On the way over, while waiting for a signal to change at Central, I was approached by a Latino man who held out his cap to me.  I gave him some water and a can of beef ravioli.  He spoke no English.  I would have tried to talk with him more, but the light changed and I had to move on.  Under the freeway I found a man named Charles.  He was laying down on a blanket, but now the sun was down and it would be dark soon.  I got out and gave him the last bottle of water and 3 cans of food.  He told me he was hungry.  I guess he would have gone to sleep that night without eating if I hadn't come by.  I prayed with him before leaving.  In fact, the only one I didn't pray with was the man on the street corner.

Well, here was another trip where I started with little energy and my passion was low.  I prayed for God to intervene.  He did.  He multiplied what I had to give and made it cover everyone I met.  All praise be to Him! --Until next week.  John 
       

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Downtown 8/12/2012

"Some of God's best lessons can't be learned in a class, they can only be learned on a journey."  Bill Johnson, from his book, 'Hosting the Presence'

I had to make a trip out of town on Sunday and didn't know if I'd feel up to stopping by downtown on my way back or not.  It was going to be a long trip, three hours of driving each way.  I knew it would be another hot day like it has been all week, so on the chance that I'd feel up to stopping on the way back I packed the ice chest and took 15 or so bottles of water with me.  On the way back, I went ahead and bought some ice in Bakersfield and started to chill the bottles.  I didn't stay too long downtown, just long enough to see some of my regular friends and hand out the cold water.  Didn't have any food to give out, just the water, but all who received some were grateful.  For people living day-to-day, any help is appreciated.  Many times days go by for them without anything to eat or drink that's cold or hot.  Receiving a cold drink on a hot day is precious.  There is a story in all four gospels about the feeding of the five thousand.  Usually, when we hear about it, we are told that this story is repeated four times so we understand God's ability to use underwhelming rescources to cover overwhelming needs.  Yesterday, I looked at it a little differently.  I was the kid with the five loaves and two fish.  I gave what I had away for the Master.  He can do amazing things with 15 bottles of water.  --Until next week.  John      

Monday, August 6, 2012

Downtown 8/5/2012

"Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth, sing the glory of his name, give to him glorious praise.  Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!'"  Psalm 66:1-3a

I decided to go a little earlier Sunday so I could get home sooner for my daughter's birthday celebration that night.  I arrived down at skid row around 1:30pm and prayer-walked the area.  I had asked God to give me someone to pray with, but nothing materialized.  In retrospect, there were proably a  couple of opportunities that I didn't pick up on at the time.  I've got to get better at listening to Him.

I had already picked-up some bottled water and ice before leaving home, but hadn't hit the "Box" yet to pick-up any food.  I drove by a couple of places to see who was around and found Willie, Dave and EJ in one of the alleys.  They told me Chris and Tara Lee were over on the other alley where we had the barbecue last month.  I told them I'd go get some burgers and meet them over there.  When I returned what unfolded was one of my most memorable times ever downtown.

As I pulled down the alley I could see these five men sitting around waiting for me.  Keep in mind these are five African-American men who are all within a couple of years of my age except for Chris who is about 30 years old.  So as I pulled up, with the windows down, I started singing Otis Redding's classic, "Sittin' on the dock of the bay".  Wow, did their faces light up!  EJ said, "Oh boy, John's singing Otis Redding!"  For those of you too young to know this song, you'll have to pull it up on youtube.  Suffice it to say, it's a perfect song for a lazy, hot summer afternoon.  Well, I pulled over and parked and after handing out burgers and water EJ said, "John, sit down here (pointing to a milk crate) and pray for us."  It was equal parts a command and a plea.  What happened next was totally unplanned and unrehearsed, there was no fear and no nervousness.  I simply started telling them about a couple of things from the church service I went to that morning.  One of which was a short video that consisted of 7 or 8 very famous people who experienced failure early in their lives.  I only spoke of two.  They were Michael Jordan, who didn't make his high school basketball team and went home and cried.  The other was Abraham Lincoln who had 2 failed businesses and lost eight elections before becoming president.  I shared with them how I related to these people because in my 20's I led a life of recklessness and irresponsibility.  I always had a job and worked hard, but could never get ahead because of my self-destructive behavior.  You think maybe I had their attention by now?  I went on to say that there was a verse the pastor quoted that, although I had heard it many times before, there was one word in it that jumped out at me like never before.  The verse was in Hebrews 4:14.  It talks about Jesus being our high priest before God, but the writer uses the adjective "great" high priest.  The verse goes on to say that Jesus is able to sypathize with our weaknesses because he had been tested in every way like we have, but he was without sin.  We even talked about Peter denying him 3 times (Peter's failure).  Then the verse finishes with, "let's approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need [because of our 'great' high priest]."  I ended by praying for us all and when I finished Tara started singing the old gospel song, "He was alone".  It was really a special moment.

About four years ago after reading Hudson Taylor's biography I felt the desire to preach the gospel in non-church settings and started praying about it.  I've preached the gospel in churches on Sunday mornings many times and adult bible classes too.  But none of it compares to giving a short gospel message in a dusty alley downtown to five needy people who desparately wanted to hear it.  I felt like George Whitfield and John Wesley must have felt when they started preaching in open fields in England to people who weren't welcome in the churches of that day because they were too poor or led 'sinful' lives.  I've got news---we're all in that group.  It's not every week that I get an opportunity like this, but it's memorable when these times do happen.

I must have stayed and talked with my friends for about an hour, just hanging out and talking about 'stuff'.  We even tentatively scheduled the next barbecue for the last Sunday in September--before my schedule changes back to nights.

Remember when I started this blog today and asked God to "give me someone to pray with"?  I said I think I missed a couple of opportunities to pray with some folks on skid row.  Yet God graciously gave me this other opportunity a little while later.  Luckily I didn't miss this one.  Praise His name always, for He will give you the desires of your heart.  ---Until next time.  John