A few days ago, I was listening to a man on the radio preaching on this passage. I've heard and read studies on this parable many many times. This time was different. I felt the Lord pointing out to me how I was like the unfaithful servant who buried his gold (talent). Ouch! Why hadn't I seen this sooner? Am I going downtown less? No, but I've been blogging about it less and less as the years have gone by. The reality is I don't get very many hits on this blog and very few comments. The last blog which was a highlight reel for the ten years I've been going only got 10 hits. The one before that, 10 hits too. It takes almost as much time to write one of these blogs as it does to actually go downtown. I came to the conclusion that "What's the point if no one reads them." Then I look at the places in the world that look at the blog. Yes the largest audience is in America with over 9,600 hits, but France (yeah France) has almost 4,000 hits and China with almost 1100 and even Russian with over 750 hits. Go figure, because I can't figure out why anyone in another country might be looking at this. And no, they never leave comments. You have to be logged into Google to leave a comment. So I'm forced to come to the conclusion that however and wherever people are reading this, God is using it for His glory. When I'm consistent in writing these, those countries are watching. Yes, it is totally amazing to me too. So from now on, I'm going to try to be more consistent. I still will probably wait until I've done two or three trips to have enough 'material' to write anything important.
The last blog was from four months ago in May. I've really only missed a handful of Sunday's like last weekend when my daughter came home for a couple of days and next weekend when I will try and visit my son. I will be switching back to working nights in two more weekends, so that will have a big impact on getting down there. But here are some of the highlights from the last four months.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted on face book a very brief encounter with a man who told me he hadn't had any water in two days. His name is Gregory and he's been living down in this same area for about twenty years. I saw him again yesterday and he was really happy to see me especially since he didn't expect so see me there on a Monday and I had told him I wouldn't be coming for a couple of weeks. I had forgotten ( a couple weeks ago) that Monday was a holiday and there wouldn't be much traffic. Sunday I knew I'd be pretty worn out from the extra long work week and I planned to not go down, but then if Monday's a holiday, we're back on. He told me that there used to be a guy like me who came down with sandwiches and water and fruit up until about 10 years ago. Interestingly, that's when I started coming. Coincidence? Here's Gregory's photo. This week he told me he hadn't eaten in a couple of days and didn't know what he was going to do......Yeah, he was happy I came down on a Monday.
Now every once in a while I'll get an idea in my head about doing something completely different and I get blindsided by something I didn't see coming. I've talked before about the two homeless women who I try to see each week (Maria and Carmen). Carmen is the one in the wheelchair and the local girl, Maria is the one from Mexico who speaks almost no English and lives in a van parked in a residential neighborhood. I thought it might be a good idea to invite both of them to eat together at a restaurant there locally (fast food place), so the week before I asked Maria and she was agreeable, but I couldn't find Carmen. I saw her tent, but didn't see her. I thought, 'no problem', I see her next week and I'm sure she'll want to join us. It was crucial that Carmen goes with us so she can translate for us.
Well, when the time arrived I still couldn't find Carmen. So Maria and I went to a Burger King there off 25th and San Pedro anyway. There was a large man yelling by the doorway when we walked in, I had to google/translate the word angry on my phone for Maria, but we got inside safely. As soon as we're inside Maria turns to me and says, "You, order 2...one for you one for me. " and walked to a booth and sat down. One of the reasons for taking her there was I thought she would thoroughly enjoy being able to order whatever she wanted off the menu. What I didn't even think about was that the menu is in English and she couldn't read it! I was devastated for her. Well, we spent about an hour together "talking". We used my phone to translate English to Spanish. It is a long process to "talk" this way. I began to suspect that Maria may not read Spanish all that well either, but we managed and she at least got to spend an hour in an air conditioned place and use the bathroom. As of yesterday, I still haven't seen Carmen. I heard she got "picked-up", but by whom I do not know. I don't know if it was the police or emergency services. Her tent and wheel chair are gone and no one has seen her. I'm quite concerned about her.
Maria enjoying the air conditioning
Me...happy to see Maria enjoying herself. It was a very hot day out side.
So about two months ago, when I was actually looking for Carmen again (she wasn't where her tent was again), there were two men on the sidewalk near where she stays. I asked them where she was and they didn't know, but they asked if I had some food that day. I told them, "Of course" and they came over to the car. I gave them sandwiches and water and they asked if I had some socks. I told them I did, but they were used socks and I'd have to sort through them to find a couple of pairs. While sorting through the bags I finally found a couple of stretched-out saggy socks. When I handed them to one of the guys I said, "Here are some Pete Maravich socks" They knew exactly who I was referring to as both of them, though younger than me were old enough to remember Pete. One of the guys said he was 60 years old. Pete Maravich played professional basketball from 1970-80, but is best known for his college career when he scored 44 pts a game for LSU. He somehow always seemed to wear saggy, droopy socks and eventually when he was inducted into the college basketball hall of fame a pair of those socks went on display there too. Well, that comment led to a fifteen or twenty minute conversation about all our favorite players from the 80's (Magic, Bird, Reggie Miller etc). It was just a regular conversation between 3 guys just talkin' basketball. Well, when it was time for me to leave I prayed for them and then just before driving away I said, "Remember, I love ya." One of the guys stunned me when he said, "You don't have to say it, you show it." Perhaps the greatest complement I've ever received downtown.
OK, one final story from yesterday before I close. I have continued to pray for a burned-out church on the corner of 27th and Peloma for about 3-4 years now. I have prayer-walked the neighborhood, but that is becoming more difficult for me to do, yet always drive by there sometime during every trip I make and pray by that church asking God for that church's resurrection in the neighborhood and God's presence to go forth in the neighborhood. So far, nothing has changed. I've been praying mostly for that church's pastor and his wife and it's impact on the neighborhood. Well, yesterday I decided it was time to turn up the pressure. I asked God if I was wasting my time praying for this church. "Lord, what do you want me to do? I offer myself to you to reach this neighborhood." I drove around the block and parked in front of Maria's van. I got out and knocked on the door, but she wasn't there (or didn't answer). I finally left but turned the car around and drove south on Peloma because one time I saw Maria sitting on a corner a couple of blocks away. Well, I didn't see her there either, but as I drove by I did see a homeless woman sitting in her little make-shift home washing her hair. I had never seen anyone living on the sidewalk there before. I had two sandwiches left. I drove around the block to come by her again and when I did there was another man there talking to her. I had may window down and asked if they were hungry as I had these two sandwiches left. They both said yes and I gave them up along with some of the chilled bottled water I had left. They thanked me and as I drove away there was another man sitting in a parked car a couple of cars down who gave me a thumbs up as I drove away. Moments later, I'm remembering my prayer about "reaching the neighborhood" and how I said, "Lord, I'm available." That prayer was only about 20 minutes prior. Sometimes, the Lord moves quickly. I'm in the neighborhood and I'm definitely going back there on my next trip. --Until next time. John
This guy was sleeping on the sidewalk at about Pico and Olive. These are the people I love helping.
The last blog was from four months ago in May. I've really only missed a handful of Sunday's like last weekend when my daughter came home for a couple of days and next weekend when I will try and visit my son. I will be switching back to working nights in two more weekends, so that will have a big impact on getting down there. But here are some of the highlights from the last four months.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted on face book a very brief encounter with a man who told me he hadn't had any water in two days. His name is Gregory and he's been living down in this same area for about twenty years. I saw him again yesterday and he was really happy to see me especially since he didn't expect so see me there on a Monday and I had told him I wouldn't be coming for a couple of weeks. I had forgotten ( a couple weeks ago) that Monday was a holiday and there wouldn't be much traffic. Sunday I knew I'd be pretty worn out from the extra long work week and I planned to not go down, but then if Monday's a holiday, we're back on. He told me that there used to be a guy like me who came down with sandwiches and water and fruit up until about 10 years ago. Interestingly, that's when I started coming. Coincidence? Here's Gregory's photo. This week he told me he hadn't eaten in a couple of days and didn't know what he was going to do......Yeah, he was happy I came down on a Monday.
Now every once in a while I'll get an idea in my head about doing something completely different and I get blindsided by something I didn't see coming. I've talked before about the two homeless women who I try to see each week (Maria and Carmen). Carmen is the one in the wheelchair and the local girl, Maria is the one from Mexico who speaks almost no English and lives in a van parked in a residential neighborhood. I thought it might be a good idea to invite both of them to eat together at a restaurant there locally (fast food place), so the week before I asked Maria and she was agreeable, but I couldn't find Carmen. I saw her tent, but didn't see her. I thought, 'no problem', I see her next week and I'm sure she'll want to join us. It was crucial that Carmen goes with us so she can translate for us.
Well, when the time arrived I still couldn't find Carmen. So Maria and I went to a Burger King there off 25th and San Pedro anyway. There was a large man yelling by the doorway when we walked in, I had to google/translate the word angry on my phone for Maria, but we got inside safely. As soon as we're inside Maria turns to me and says, "You, order 2...one for you one for me. " and walked to a booth and sat down. One of the reasons for taking her there was I thought she would thoroughly enjoy being able to order whatever she wanted off the menu. What I didn't even think about was that the menu is in English and she couldn't read it! I was devastated for her. Well, we spent about an hour together "talking". We used my phone to translate English to Spanish. It is a long process to "talk" this way. I began to suspect that Maria may not read Spanish all that well either, but we managed and she at least got to spend an hour in an air conditioned place and use the bathroom. As of yesterday, I still haven't seen Carmen. I heard she got "picked-up", but by whom I do not know. I don't know if it was the police or emergency services. Her tent and wheel chair are gone and no one has seen her. I'm quite concerned about her.
So about two months ago, when I was actually looking for Carmen again (she wasn't where her tent was again), there were two men on the sidewalk near where she stays. I asked them where she was and they didn't know, but they asked if I had some food that day. I told them, "Of course" and they came over to the car. I gave them sandwiches and water and they asked if I had some socks. I told them I did, but they were used socks and I'd have to sort through them to find a couple of pairs. While sorting through the bags I finally found a couple of stretched-out saggy socks. When I handed them to one of the guys I said, "Here are some Pete Maravich socks" They knew exactly who I was referring to as both of them, though younger than me were old enough to remember Pete. One of the guys said he was 60 years old. Pete Maravich played professional basketball from 1970-80, but is best known for his college career when he scored 44 pts a game for LSU. He somehow always seemed to wear saggy, droopy socks and eventually when he was inducted into the college basketball hall of fame a pair of those socks went on display there too. Well, that comment led to a fifteen or twenty minute conversation about all our favorite players from the 80's (Magic, Bird, Reggie Miller etc). It was just a regular conversation between 3 guys just talkin' basketball. Well, when it was time for me to leave I prayed for them and then just before driving away I said, "Remember, I love ya." One of the guys stunned me when he said, "You don't have to say it, you show it." Perhaps the greatest complement I've ever received downtown.
OK, one final story from yesterday before I close. I have continued to pray for a burned-out church on the corner of 27th and Peloma for about 3-4 years now. I have prayer-walked the neighborhood, but that is becoming more difficult for me to do, yet always drive by there sometime during every trip I make and pray by that church asking God for that church's resurrection in the neighborhood and God's presence to go forth in the neighborhood. So far, nothing has changed. I've been praying mostly for that church's pastor and his wife and it's impact on the neighborhood. Well, yesterday I decided it was time to turn up the pressure. I asked God if I was wasting my time praying for this church. "Lord, what do you want me to do? I offer myself to you to reach this neighborhood." I drove around the block and parked in front of Maria's van. I got out and knocked on the door, but she wasn't there (or didn't answer). I finally left but turned the car around and drove south on Peloma because one time I saw Maria sitting on a corner a couple of blocks away. Well, I didn't see her there either, but as I drove by I did see a homeless woman sitting in her little make-shift home washing her hair. I had never seen anyone living on the sidewalk there before. I had two sandwiches left. I drove around the block to come by her again and when I did there was another man there talking to her. I had may window down and asked if they were hungry as I had these two sandwiches left. They both said yes and I gave them up along with some of the chilled bottled water I had left. They thanked me and as I drove away there was another man sitting in a parked car a couple of cars down who gave me a thumbs up as I drove away. Moments later, I'm remembering my prayer about "reaching the neighborhood" and how I said, "Lord, I'm available." That prayer was only about 20 minutes prior. Sometimes, the Lord moves quickly. I'm in the neighborhood and I'm definitely going back there on my next trip. --Until next time. John
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