This is a true story. An event that happened to my friends
and me over our winter break, 2011.
It was December 28th, as I recall, and we had
decided to take a trip down to Rockford Illinois. Now, our business was as
usual. We had plans to trip down and search for much needed vinyl to add to our
eager collections back home. I was especially excited for trading in a few
guitars for a newer one (a Seagull) and also wanted to play racquetball later
that night with my friends. Everything was a green light, but little did we
know that God had other plans for us that night, and that what would happen
would change the outlook of life.
Now as a Christian I accept with faith the fact that my human plans will not always work out,
and that God has a better direction,
plenty of open doors, and more eternal plans for every one plan we have. He
literally will carry you from one spot in life to the next, and what the beauty
of it all is, is that we don’t have to understand. Like in the following verses
found in James (4:6-8; latter, 1:5):
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore
he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God;
resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God and he will draw
night to you.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not, and it shall
be given him.
I have thought about this event for quite some time, and all
I am reminded of is a prayer my roommate and I said just before break. See, we
are active Campus Crusade for Christ members, and every year there is an event
known as TCX. This offers young Christians to grown in Christ. You attend
seminars, worship and prayer sessions, you help in an outreach for the
community. All of those are wonderful experiences, but we simply did not have
the funds to go, and besides, I felt the need to work and save money.
The experience we had is a
product of God’s plan, His answer to our prayer. I don’t remember the
prayer exactly, but I know that it was something like this:
Dear Lord, we are unable to attend
TCX with our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We just ask that this
break is of you and for you, and that we actively seek servitude, always
advancing your kingdom. Let us evangelize with love. Thank you, God. In Jesus’
name, amen.
Needless to say, after getting our fill of vinyl we embarked
to a McDonalds close by on the way out of the city. It was here that my tale
truly begins.
While in McDonalds, my friend and I were standing in line to
order with the coupons we had. Meanwhile, my friend, ‘lewis,’ went to the
restroom to wash his hands as always. It was not long before the friend I was
in line with, ‘Ben,’ asked who Lewis was talking to. I couldn’t tell, he was
standing in the doorway and appeared to be talking to someone behind the door
in the corner. We got our food. Lewis soon joined us and had explained
everything:
There’s a homeless man who says he
was beat up. He needs to get to the other side of town (5-10 minute drive to
where we just were). What do you guys think. Should we take him? I mean, it’s
not far, and I feel it’s the right thing to do.
I perceived this, I understood this, and I accepted this, as
did Lewis, to be a task from God. I said ‘Yes.’ Soon we saw a man, shabby,
caked in dirt and street-grime, plod over in a drunken stupor. He had a
stocking cap, black jacket, camouflaged hunting pants with boots, and carried
with him a large, pink, zippered bag.
‘Thank you so much’ he said. ‘Want me to buy ya’ll coffee?’
We declined. We told him it was from this kindness of our
hearts, that it’s what Jesus would have done.
An older woman, right behind him began to curse and degrade
him, calling him a bum. Still she stayed safely in her seat behind her paper,
chastising his humbleness, and desire
to cater to us!
Our leaving was inevitable. We couldn’t stay in a place
where there was so much misunderstanding and disdain. The manager of the store
approached him, asking if he’d leave. A girl on her break near the wall,
texting, put her nose into it all: ‘Excuse me? Was I talking to you? I didn’t
say anything.’ It was all a shame they didn’t understand. But there is no doubt
that the silence was God’s presence in the restaurant as we stood with the homeless man. As we left we smiled at the onlookers who
couldn’t believe we were actually going to give this man a ride. We see a stark
similarity in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27, here:
For ye see your calling, bretheren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are
called:
But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
In the car: Lewis in the front, Ben in the back with me, and
John in the front passenger side.
He took us the same route we took to get to McDonalds, and
when it was said and done we were in the parking lot of a strip-mall with the
heater on, talking about God.
Apparently John is a veteran with land in Georgia—his
mission is to get back to his land, so he can be happy. He told us he used to teach bible study courses to the youth at his church, that he had
been sober for a year and a half before he found out his brother in law had
passed, which brought him North, where he’s been on the streets since, and that he awaits his calling home. Now, I
don’t know this man’s life, but I know he has an addiction he feels helpless
to.
John told us some very intriguing and heartwarming things,
reminding us what being a Christian is:
1.) ‘We are the church,' John said. Well, John’s right. Any
time we are together we should worship the Lord, given two, or three, or four
people.
2.) Here’s a book, chapter and verse John continued
to reference for us. It is Jeremiah 29:11, which says ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected
end.'
An expected end, huh? Well, it’s important for Christians to remember that God has a plan for us, no matter what
stage we are in our lives, but we must trust in Him, submit ourselves to his
Word, and give him thanks. Now, I know what some think, and they think that
John is a hobo, so how could he have this addiction and be stuck in a rut if
God is so good. I say that men create
the evils and the strife in their own lives, for the Lord says in James 1:13, 'Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, nor tempteth he any man.'
The devil wants us to rebel against God,
to pursue the riches of this world and would like us to think it's God who does those things. For many of you who might not know, I’m
conviced that addictions exist because we buy into ‘freewill’ and ‘liberty.’
Well, those are our plans, and I'm sorry but they fail.
Without condemning John I can say
that he needs to trust in God, that God will deliver him. That’s the only way
he can be freed from the vice he’s given himself. As for the things of this
world, one verse I’ve recently memorized comes to mind, and that’s 2 Timothy,
2:22 which says, “Flee also youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, faith,
charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” I can’t
help but think we had church that night, and that John’s cry for help to the
Lord, and our prayer availed much. Nonetheless, John at least has faith.
Soon after we dropped him off where we met him. We left
knowing that God was on his side, and pleased we could serve diligently.
It was a test of patience, love, and understanding.
I have
seen God work. Have you?
So, from James 2:5, I repeat ‘Hearken, my beloved brethren,
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the
kingdom which he hath promised to them that love Him?’ ‘But ye have despised
the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?’
The hour is at hand. Please, if you haven’t already, submit
yourself before God. Use your love to help others when you can. But do it for the glory of God, and not for yourself. He will exalt you!
Praise God, forever. Amen.
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