By Jon Murray:
When Saturday evening rolled around, I was tired and honestly didn't feel like joining Jimmy and Steve out in Norfolk. But I'm really glad I did.
As usual, there were plenty of people approaching the van to serve coffee and hand out food to. The first person I started a conversation with was an older gentleman named Timothy who said he didn't want any coffee because he had high blood pressure. He grabbed a sandwich and hung around the van and we chatted for a bit. Timothy was a nice guy and had one of those perpetual smiles on his face even when he was chewing his food. :) I asked him if he needed any prayer for anything, and he said he was expecting to receive a couple of checks this week and that everything would go as planned. I prayed that everything would go smoothly and also that Jesus would regulate his blood pressure. After talking with Timothy, I overheard a man asking if we had any clothes with us this week. I then remembered that I had a few bags of clothes that a friend gave me, so I proceeded to open up the back of my truck and sort through them. Before I knew it I was handing out socks and various articles of clothing to about 6 or 7 guys. They all were thanking me and I felt grateful for the opportunity, but also very aware for the need that is present. It really hit me when a man was happy to receive a used pair of underwear. These people have nothing!
I then met Willis and chatted with him when he came back for his second cup of coffee. He would talk and walk away from me as if he thought I wasn't listening or didn't care, so I followed him away from the van to show that I was interested in what he had to say. He then began to open up to me and talk about how years of partying and doing drugs messed up his life and he would take it back for anything. He told me he grew up in the church and when he went back to visit several years ago, he wasn't accepted warmly and felt as though people judged him because of his appearance. He said he was embarrassed that his teeth were rotten, and his eyes were messed up from the drugs and alcohol. He began to cry and tell me that he thought he was going to die before he started receiving Social Security,. He said no one would consider hiring him, because he's too old and not worth it. I prayed with him for physical and emotional restoration and told him that Jesus doesn't care about what he's done in the past and loves him the same. He thanked me and walked back across the street to get in line for the bus. I stood there and thought to myself, "What can I possibly do for this man?". On the ride home I was discouraged and honestly thought there was no hope. I began praying and I believe the Lord reminded me about the vision that Steve and Jimmy have about the farmland. It would be perfect for someone like Willis to instill hope and purpose back in his life.
One last thing....When I was praying for these gentleman my prayers felt powerless and empty. Today, I remembered that we don't battle against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. Jesus set the example, and when he prayed for the sick, he casted out demons and rebuked the spirit of infirmity. I think it's important to know what we're battling against to be effective.
No comments:
Post a Comment