Well, I guess its not that surprising. He was with the criminal on the cross who was promised paradise. He was with the tax-collectors and prostitutes. But that's all written in the Bible...I didn't expect it to be real now.
Jesus surprised me again the other day. All semester long I'd been working hard at making these pillows that me and my friend Jeff were going to hand out to homeless people. The project took all semester to complete, so we finally decided to meet up after graduation in Waterloo and find some people there who would like a little hand-made-with-love pillow. I had made about 30...and they were beautiful...i really loved them.
So after I graduated I got to Waterloo and started thinking where to find people to receive these pillows...then the ICE raid happened in Postville, and so I decided to take some there because the people were definitely in need of comfort and love...and some are or soon will be homeless. But the church only took a few, so I still had plenty left.
Jeff finally planned to come through town on a Friday on his way home in Western Minnesota. We were going to go to the Salvation Army, deliver our pillows and have some coffee and doughnuts with whoever would be there. Thursday I got a call from Mike the compassionate elderly man who goes to the jail every week, so I went and Jeff went, so the pillow plans were canceled.
All these pillows and what to do? I wanted to deliver the pillows, but the most important part was talking to people...homeless, poor, marginalized. Sometimes we have to be intentional about taking steps that are uncomfortable or abnormal. So finally, last Thursday morning, I got to the Salvation Army with a trunk-load of pillows. I was a little shaken up that morning and I wasn't feeling too well for a variety of reasons, so I was a little more shy than usual. I sat down in the waiting room and an older black man began to small talk with me. Larry. He told me that he had recently moved up to Waterloo from Des Moines and he was having a hard time finding an appartment. I told him I'd lived near Des Moines and I was just moving to Waterloo, as well, but that I was staying on my brother's couch. He said I was lucky to know someone so I had a couch to sleep on. Then we started talking about the pillow project and he told me about how his mom taught all 7 of her boys how to sew. We discussed different pillow-making strategies...then he helped me carry the pillows in. He commented on how well-made they were...what a kind person! He helped me when a woman asked for one outside (i was still a little shaken up and definitely out of my comfort zone so I wasn't too quick at responding). Good guy, Larry.
When i'd dropped off the pillows, I decided just to go back home because I wasn't feeling well, so I said goodbye to Larry. I felt so lame for not going to the coffee and doughnuts. I felt like I'd done what I didn't want to do--give without the human connection that is so important. I hadn't met a homeless person.
Well, I drove to Dallas, and Saturday morning I woke up thinking about the experience, regretting my shyness. Then I went over my conversation with Larry and realized that he was most likely homeless. No appartment, no place to stay, "nice pillows", "what a great idea, Katy". Then later on that day I was shopping (at the richest, fanciest mall I've ever ever been in) with my mom and we'd taken a coffee break; while we were talking I started laughing to myself because not only was Larry probably homeless, but I had spent a good amount of time talking with him, hearing his story, and that was the ENTIRE POINT of the visit. But I did it without realizing or really meaning to do so. All I did was sit in a reception room and talked to the person who was talking to me. I'm sure Larry was wondering why I didn't give him a pillow! I can't believe I didn't! It didn't even occur to me that he was homeless. He was just so nice and honest and talkative.
Jesus is just in the most peculiar situations. I found Jesus in Larry. I just hope Larry got a pillow (I hope he got the plaid brown ones...they're my favorite).
2 comments:
I took a shit and I found Jesus's face on it. Does that mean Jesus is a piece of shit?
What do you think, nate dawg?
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