God is just teaching me to be grateful for what I have.

I just got back to Goshen from Daviess County Indiana. Driving 300 miles -partway through an ice storm- gave plenty of time to talk with my passenger.

Ruben popped into the church a few weeks ago. He wanted help. An hour later we were back at his barren apartment with some groceries where I met his wife and kid. He didn't have a job, he didn't have a car, he didn't even have a phone. So even if he walked five miles and applied for a job, he would have no way of being reached by someone so he knew he had the job. My schedule is pretty flexible so the next day we went job hunting. I asked him if he wanted to come to church that Sunday. He said yes; but when the time came to pick him up he didn't answer the door.

Fast forward -then back again- to last Monday. Ruben called the church, after about five minutes of weeping he finally blurted out his situation. The family was gone. His wife and kids had moved back down to southern Indiana. He asked me to call back in an hour.

When I called back all he asked for is that I would pray for him. So I spit out some feeble words into his immense pit of pain. I asked how I could reach him again. He didn't know, he was being evicted out of his apartment that next day.

About 9:30am on Tuesday Ruben calls again. He asked if I knew of any place that needed work. I didn't. I told him he could at least come hang out at the church to stay out of the cold.

I think I'm getting sidetracked. Long story short, Ruben and I are driving towards southern Indiana. He doesn't know where he can stay, where he will work, he spent his last dollar on a pepsi and some ciggarettes at a gas station. I'm thinking about calling Phillip Morris and having them get him an apartment. All Ruben knows is that he has a responsibility to his family, and he has to provide for his wife, and be there for his kid.

About 60% of our conversation was awkward and surface. I'm freaking out because all I'm doing is driving this guy 300 miles just to drop him off on the street. What do I do? What do I say to him? God picked quite the time to seem distant. So much for spirit filled ministry.

Somewhere near the Indianapolis Beltway Ruben breaks loose. All kinds of thoughts about what the purpose of life was. He asked me what I thought it took to be succesful in life. He shared his heart about God being compassionate (even though he was broke, homeless, and seperated from his family) he let me know he was scared but that he was ready to live on the street if he had to. He kept saying, "I don't understand it but I don't have to. God understands his plans, that's what counts." This man puts the church to shame in devotion to his wife and kid, his trust in God is crazy, he is both realistic and optimistic. Thank you Ruben.

Tuesday evening we got to Odon, IN. He said "You know I think God is teaching me to be grateful for the things I do have. While life was good I took all those things for granted." The man praised God in the midst of his hell. The man stared into the face of despair, and praised God. I feel ridiculously full of crap for the pathetic things I've complained about in my life.

Ruben is now reunited with his wife. They have a week's worth of shelter, thanks to a kindhearted pastor from Odon. He applied for several service sector jobs and has a couple pastoral contacts in Jasper. Oh by the way Jasper doesn't have homeless shelters because the mayor thought it would make things look trashy. Yay for the ever compassionate world powers. In a week Ruben may be on the street. I doubt a week is enough to find a job (let alone get a paycheck to pay continued rent). A prayer for Ruben, Venessa, and Anita would be appropriate here.

There were about fifty different places I wanted to go with this and I don't think I went to any of them, or maybe I went to all of them. Maybe a summary of what I learned would be helpful.

From the situation:

Being Jesus to other people is frustrating, tiring, expensive, and painful (I slipped on ice). All around difficult.

True Compassion is not so easily satisfied. Although I felt slightly better knowing that we had done something to help, my heart still ached, Ruben has a long way to go.



From Ruben:

Life will be difficult. We don't have the 'right' to any kind of hapiness in this life. God equips us to have a good life with whatever it is we are given. (Paul said "I have learned in all situations to be content).

Real praise is not fluffy clouds and puppy dogs. Real praise is declaration of who God is in ALL circumstances. Even if He himself sends us through hell for his purposes. What if God made your life on this earth ridiculously painful? Would you still praise Him? (see the book of Job)

Ruben saw this as a test of his faith, not a punishment. This was a chance for his faith to be shown genuine. (see the book of James).




My kingdom for some better writing skills... I'm just going to end without a solid conclusion.


Do all in love to Jesus Christ