Since
this blog is being read in about 30 countries, we have decided to greet one
country
every time a post is written. This week
we say, “Hello to France.” Bonjour la
France! Que la grâce de notre Seigneur
Jésus-Christ soit avec vous!
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| Have you ever seen an angel fly through the air? |
Sunday,
October 12, 2014
“Jean-Luc, you gotta help me,
brother.” Shorty was out of breath and
held on to my arm tightly as he begged me to help him. I had never seen fearless Shorty like this
before. I could not quite place the
desperate look in his eyes. It wasn’t
fear. It was…it was…like he was all tied
up…yes, that’s it – he had the look of having just lost the freedom the street
had to offer (see post Oct. 8, Sept. 5, 2014).
No more drinking, no more coming and going at will, no more just sitting
and staring at the ocean.
Just then, a bright flash lands on the
picnic table behind Shorty, bounces off of it and lands on Shorty’s back -
quick arms wrapping around his neck. The
giggling and incessant laughing completely changes the look in his eyes to
humble submissiveness.
“You see what I mean! Help me Jean-Luc – if you love me, brother!
She guided him around the pavilion like a
horse with a bridle. It seems everyone I
spoke to agreed that he deserved it! Shorty had found his match in Natalie, a very
precious four year old little tornado.
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| Shorty, you're going to need these new shoes to keep up with Natalie! |
Shorty had shared with me, “Brother, I was
sleeping very soundly yesterday morning, having wonderful dreams, warm and
comfortable. But then I started to wake up because I felt something on my
face. It was Natalie! She had her face almost against mine just
watching me, and when I opened one eye, she said, ‘You gonna sleep all day, or
what?’ Then she jumped on me!”
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| Natalie says, "Come on, Shorty, let's play!" |
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| Can we play with the dog, Shorty? |
Natalie had completely adopted Shorty as
her playmate. Why Shorty? Because she knew the children she could play
with. Shorty was one of them - a child
himself.
When Shorty first introduced her to me,
she jumped in my arms and I swung her around as she squealed and laughed. She had found another child to play with and
she knew it instantly.
“…unless
you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles
himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4
Natalie captivated everyone’s heart with
her openness, faith and love. She
naturally sees the good in everyone and brings it out of them immediately – as
she did with Shorty. Who can resist the
gracious Spirit of the Lord in a four year old child of God? Oh, if we had only a portion of the faith
that child had, what wonderful works of God we could do! Glory to God!
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| Chris - captivated as Natalie plays with the coloring book and crayons I brought her! |
Everybody in the camp is her family and
watches over her. Pity the poor person
who would dare to hurt her in any way!
It would be better for a stone to be tied around his neck and that he be
thrown in the ocean. It takes a whole
camp to raise a child, don’t you know?
She has a seven year old brother who is taken care of by the other
grand-parents. They brag on him that he
is also intelligent and has straight A’s in school. Natalie’s homeless grand-parents take care of
her even though all they have is a pickup truck to sleep in.
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| Grandma and grandpa with their little tornado! |
Please don’t judge or condemn, but instead be ready to love and minister to them.
There are a number of our school children who are homeless and could use
your help – from kindergarten and on up to high school. I know for a fact they’re there because I
have personally ministered to them in the classroom.
Dennis, who trained with us and has been
one of our ministers for almost two years, has some of that childlike faith, as
he comes every Saturday to bring the homeless some wholesome food,
encouragement and the Word of God.
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| Dennis has a loving heart for children! Here, he feeds Natalie, which seems to be the only time she ever sits down! |
Dennis had a serious accident a few years
ago which doctors said was going to leave him unable to walk. But, by faith, God healed him and Dennis is
well able to walk today. With his car
broken down, one day, he walked ten miles round trip to feed the homeless on
that day, proving that the Lord still heals today.
Yesterday, Dennis brought these precious
children of God hot, homemade spaghetti, garlic bread and a cup of sliced
peaches – all in a Styrofoam container with fork and napkin.
He also brought two young ladies from
church who are considering coming to minister to the homeless. Meagan and Leighton are interns who are
training to be leaders in the church.
Meagan also sings on the worship team and offered to sing for the
homeless at our church service and dinner on the last day of the month. The homeless LOVE music with their church
service and they are looking forward to Meagan singing for them on October 26. Thanks for coming today Meagan and Leighton! God bless you both!
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| L. to R. - Dennis, Leighton, Meagan, Shorty |
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| Shorty, always the life of the party, has no qualms about singing old hymns to everyone! Now, Meagan, you go ahead and sing THIS boldly to everyone about the Lord! |
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| Leighton (standing) and Meagan (right) joyfully ministering to Natalie. |
Gary came over to eat a cheeseburger, today, and shared with us that he had quit smoking now for eleven days! He had been smoking for 57 years! He was coughing badly one night, a couple of weeks ago, and he said, “That’s it. I quit.” He says he doesn’t even miss a cigarette, and he is already feeling the better for stopping. He is using an “atomizer” which he will “smoke” decreasingly over the next 90 days. God bless you, Gary.
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| Gary and Boomer - together for 15 years! |
Gary’s beautiful German Shepherd, Boomer,
is 15 years old. Gary says he has had
him since he could fit him in the palm of his hands. But, Boomer is on his last stretch and may
not make it to the end of the year.
Gary, who is 70 years old, has learned to handle what life dishes out,
though losing your best friend will still be tough.
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| Boomer is driving, today! |
The pavilion cement floor was getting
covered with sand as the dogs dug deep holes nearby. If the encroaching sand wasn’t cleaned up and
the holes filled up, they might risk being told to leave by the park
ranger. So I brought them a shovel and they
went to work. This is something they
might have to do every week in order to take care of their camp. It was good to see the men working so hard!
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| Shorty working - with Brianna supervising closely! Between Brianna and Natalie, Shorty can't get away with anything, anymore!!! |
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| Chris showing good form with the overhand grip! |
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| Stosh looking like he's enjoying working hard! |
Today, Paul brought them a few of the
little goodies that we take for granted at home but are a treat here in the
camp; shavers, soap, toilet paper, sanitizing wipes, a radio for Chris,
batteries, socks, underwear, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. Of course he also brings soft drinks (Bill
brings water) and a variety of chips – which is earning him the nick-name, “The
Chip Man!”
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| Paul's blue box of goodies! |
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| Chris with the ever important radio Paul gave him. You're so spoiled, Chris! (See blog from Oct. 8) |
Bill had to go out of town for this weekend,
but he left with me the fruit pies that the homeless love so much. I want you to know, Bill, they missed you for
more than just the pies you provide for them.
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| Cheeseburgers, fruit pies, chips, drinks and love - life doesn't get any better! L. to R.- JJ, Chris, Robert (standing), Shorty (hidden), Stosh, Kojak (in red and black) |
Paul and I went on to visit Jack’s/Mari’s
camp. It is Jack’s birthday, today,
which he celebrated last night. He is
now in no condition to even get out of his tent to receive us, or food, or
anything because of his hangover. He
won’t walk his twenty miles today (that he usually walks) looking for aluminum
cans. Mari and Mark came out to greet us
and Mari asked that if any readers wanted a cute little cat, she had five of
them. Come and get ‘em! (my email
address is in the first “ATTENTION!” post, right under my name).
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| Please, somebody come take this cute little one to take home and spoil with love! |
We
then went to the Palafox Camp which had a large number of the homeless
today. We rejoiced to find others who
were also handing out sack lunches and water bottles to the homeless. Praise God!
The homeless will be eating today.
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| L. to R. - Amy, Debbie, Sebastian, Trevor and smiling Silas with Music Man (James) singing "Blue Wahoos," which he wrote! |
The happy family group pictured above is from
Potential Church on Creighton and Keaton, in Pensacola, and they come the
second Sunday of every month to feed the homeless. The
homeless appreciate more than just the food that is brought to them, as it
comforts them that someone cares for them enough to get out of the church walls
and come in the street to love on them.
That brings healing to the hurting children of God. You are the true remnant church (Romans 11:5)! God bless you abundantly!
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| Chris, from the Palafox Camp, didn't know Mouse could jump this high! I was holding a cheeseburger above him, which he caught and inhaled in 2 seconds! |
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| I thought this was grilled chicken...you say it's what?...Tofu? Ooo...K! Who brought this? |
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| Hanna loved the...Tofu...but not as much as she loves Stosh! |
Good night, folks, and God bless y’all.
Le roi leur répondra: je vous le dis en vérité, toutes les fois que
vous avez fait ces choses à l’un de ces plus petits de mes frères, c’est à moi
que vous les avez faites. » Matthieu 25:40
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