UNDER THE BRIDGE: Into the Storm!

Into the storm! Stosh (left), Mari (right)

Sunday, September 28, 2014

     The homeless saints of God had looked forward to this day all month long - the last Sunday of the month.  There would be a church service, an endless spaghetti dinner, great fellowship with the “family,” and the beautiful Florida sunshine.

     However, upon waking up early today, I could hear the rain beating down on my roof and the wind pushing against my bedroom window!

     Well, they know the routine; on rainy days, I serve pizza.  It’s more practical…right?

     As I got dressed and walked outside, I found the temperature to be a little cooler than usual.  The night must have been cold for the homeless who have been used to eighty degrees, and above, for the summer.  It was now in the mid-sixties.  Well…pizza is hot.  That should warm them up…a little.

     I reached for my phone to order the pizza, and dialed the number.  Before the first ring, I put the phone back down.

     The problem was that my sermon, this morning, was going to be about where to get enough faith to let Jesus calm your stormy seas (Mark 4:35-41).  The storm, you see, was not the real problem; the lack of faith was the true subject.  Right next to the pavilion where we would be eating would be the stormy sea…and the wind…and the rain.  I would be challenged by my listeners to prove my sermon true with an immediate prayer to Jesus which would calm the sea right before their very eyes.  

     Or, I could back down and not preach that sermon on calming the storm at all.  That would be the safest thing to do.  But, Jesus never said, “Go, and be safe!”

     However, I also felt the Lord would not let me change the subject of my sermon.

     I again picked up my phone to order fifteen large pizzas.  After the first ring, I put it back down again.

     Where is my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ which I am trying to teach to others?

     After a cool night, they would certainly need an all-you-can-eat, hot spaghetti dinner (I serve “Angel Hair;” it’s appropriate) with real meat balls swimming in a sea of spicy tomato sauce, covered in tons of mozzarella cheese and all sopped up with thick slices of fresh-baked French bread ad infinitum; all served under the beautiful Sonshine!  That’s what I would want; that’s what they expected, and there is no reason to give them anything less.  So be it.  Praise God!

     I donned my foul weather gear and, in the pouring rain, loaded my truck with table, stoves, gas bottles, pots and pans, supplies, and all the other gear to prepare this special meal.

     After I was completely loaded up, sweaty, and ready to go, I went back in my bedroom, kneeled down on the floor and prayed, “Please, Lord, according to your will and your Word, stop the rain during our service and dinner.  I trust you, Jesus.  Thank you, Lord.  I praise your Holy Name. Amen.”  That’s all.  Jesus’s prayer when He calmed the storm was only three words.

     As I drove to the Bay Side Camp, the rain came down harder!  It doesn’t matter.  I prayed.  That’s all I can do.  We’re going to cook dinner, we’re going to get wet, and that’s fine.  Glory to God!

     When I reached the pavilion, I was surprised to see quite a large number of the homeless huddled together, waiting for us.  By the time I pulled into a parking space, the rain had slowed down considerably.  I got out of my truck as the homeless children of God came forward to offload from my truck all that would be needed for the day.

     The rain stopped as I walked towards the pavilion!  
     I stopped and looked up at the  stormy skies.  Not one drop was coming down.  Glory to God!

     I got the burners set up and the gas turned on, the wind blowing the flames wildly back and forth.  Too much wind, Lord.

Spaghetti burner (left), sauce burner (right)

     I walked up to the rail along the edge of the water and looked at the stormy waves.  Do I dare pray for calm?  Can I?

     I quietly prayed to the Lord to decrease the wind so we would be more able to enjoy His Word, the dinner and the fellowship between us, in His Holy Name.

     The strong, steady wind decreased right away.  I thought, “Maybe it’s a lull in the storm.”  I waited.  The wind had been blowing at 20-25 miles per hour, and died down to about 10-15 miles per hour.  I’ll take that! We were now able to cook.

     The Lord put it in my heart that the rain would start again as soon as we were done for the day.  I’ll take that, also (it’s been dry and we need the rain).  Thank you Jesus. 

     I walked back to the pavilion and shared with Paul, “The Lord said the rain will start again when we are done here for the day.”

Paul says, "The rain stopped!  Glory to God!"

     We turned around and started setting up everything to fix these precious children of God a hot spaghetti dinner.

     Before eating our meal, I was now able to preach this sermon on faith to a very attentive audience who had noticed the rain had stopped and the wind had slowed down.  Even as hungry as they were, I had their full attention for the 20-minute sermon.  God is so good to us.

This is the real food!

      After the service, as we were preparing to serve dinner, I put my camera on the table, waiting to use it.  Kojak came up, grabbed the camera and said, “I’ll take the pictures!”

     “Uhhhhh!” is all I could say, as he disappeared in the homeless crowd with my $800 piece of cherished equipment.

     He came back a couple of minutes later, “How do I set the flash?”

     “This button right here,” I pointed out.

     “And what’s this button for?”

     I must have looked at him with doubt because he continued, “Never mind.  I got it,” as he walked away.  Once in a while I would see the flash go off, telling me where he was.  So, all pictures this week were taken curtesy of Kojac.  Of course, he is not in any of the pictures.

Anyone know where  "Denver" is from?

"Denver" gave the dinner benediction!

       It was so good to see all these wonderful saints of God, again.  I truly missed them.  Mari was the first one to greet us with a contagious smile and a big hug; she always is.  Everyone that walks up is greeted by warmhearted hugs, unless one was not wanted.  That’s O.K.  We don’t push ourselves on anyone.

     Well, since they say that a picture is worth a thousand words...

Everyone gets a hug (if they want one).  Bill (left), John (right)

Bill is a true servant of the Lord!

These three hungry guys are waiting to eat!
Left to right; Stosh, Robert, (Mari), Chris

Three hungry guys getting ready to eat!

Alright, you three guys, enjoy!

Robert, Guy # 1; humpf, slurp, mumph, slurp!

Stosh, Guy #2; snizk woof, umph, slurp, 

Seconds, anyone!

We've got more drinks...

...here they are!

French bread....yum!

Jack the walking art gallery; he's got Calvary tattooed on the front of his neck!

Tim, good to see you could make it!

Come, and I'll make you fishers of men!
Stosh (left), JJ (right)

JJ's fishing taclke repair shop!

The railing separating us from the stormy waves.
The wind died down by half.  Thank you Jesus!

Brianna says, "These meat balls are lip-smacking good!

     Finally, we were done with a wonderful day.  God is so good.  
     I didn't have to say a word, one by one they started picking up all the gear and putting it back in my truck.  It was all put away before I even realized it.  
     As I stepped out from under the pavilion to go to my truck, it started to rain.  I stopped, looked up, turned around and made eye contact with Paul, who smiled and gave all the glory to God!
     When I got home and started emptying my truck, my neighbor drove up and asked me where I'd been.  
     "Had a picnic at the Bay Side Park!"  I answered.
     "Didn't you get rained on?" he asked.
      "Nope, it stopped raining while we were there.  Praise God"
     "It rained all day long, here," he gloomily replied.

Good night, folks, and God bless y'all.

We're so dog tired from eating, playing and socializing!
Jack (left), Robert (right), the people's names, not the dogs!

CONTINUE ON WITH THE NEXT REVEALING STORY!