Hope At Riverfront
As the gravel crunches under my shoes I notice something different in the atmosphere. "What is it?" I thought. The men say hello, I hug my dear friend Kelly and quickly learn the reason for quietness. Nothing could have saddened me more in that moment; I was looking straight into a favorite pair of eyes filled with tears. "Steve has been hit in the head with a rock." Kelly solemnly informed me. "One of the men over there did it but no one's admitting to it. They hit a handicap man!" She frustratingly exclaimed. My heart was breaking. "Why?" I desperately wanted to know.
"Hi Steve." I quietly said.
"Hi" He cried. "They hit my head with a rock."
I quickly learned it was not only being hit in the head with a rock but the hit took him clear off his walker.
Trying to contain myself I looked into his eyes, "I'm so sorry."
"Why? You didn't do it. They did it." He said.
"That does not change how I feel. I'm so sorry they hit you."
"I didn't do anything to them. They just hit poor old me in the head." As a silent deep cry takes over. "Why did they do it?! What have I ever done to them?"
"That's a question I wish I had the answer to. But what I do know is that many men in the bible were stoned, even to death, when they were innocent." A spark then lit his eyes. "I don't understand why they hit you. But I do know our Lord is a just Lord."
"But they're over there laughing."
I looked over and sure enough they were. But guilt was the cause of such laughter. It was written all over their faces. "I know, but in the end they won't be laughing. The Lord will do justice as He sees fit. Let the Lord take care of them." Surprising myself with such confidence.
"Okay." He breathed a hint of relief between sniffles.
"Steve? Did you know you are one my favorite people to see Wednesday nights?" Admits the tears his eyes lit up. "You greet people with such warmth. The Lord simply shines through you! I love seeing you when I get here!" [That's partly why I believe the guilty men hit him. Because Steve is such a servant and man of peace.]
"Really?" He says.
"You betcha." Throughout our conversation I learned he moved to AR, from San Diego, and moved in with his son. Soon after his son kicked him out right before taking his fathers money. "Where am I going to go?" Steve recalled thinking. He had nothing and nowhere to turn to. "My money went to his white rap music and I don't like that junk. Every other word is a cuss word. Back in my day we didn't have that! I can't stand to be around that junk." I softly chuckled being able to relate at least to that.
This night soon unfolded into a dramatic scene. Steve doubled over coughing and barely breathing. "Someone call Emergency and get the police and ambulance out here!" While calling emergency I watched my dear 57year old friend practically black out. "Yes we're at Hope Park...." Within minutes the sirens were heard, Steve was alert, and the guilty men fled in a car.
"Whoa boy, they got the top dog out here tonight. That cop is mean. I know because he's taken me to jail before. He'll taze ya!" Kelly informs a couple of us.
Steve was brought to the hospital and I shall be hearing soon how he is doing. If you wouldn't mind, please pray for him right now. I'll update you as soon as I know something!
Until next time! See ya (-=
[And for the men who ran away. I HOPE they see the error of their wrong and own up to it. I so hope to see change in them! Hopefully they will stop running and learn a different way of living. I imagine it would be so much nicer. Please pray for them as they are very broken people too.]
"Hi Steve." I quietly said.
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| "I feel the Lord's presence in every part of me." - Steve, minutes after his baptism |
I quickly learned it was not only being hit in the head with a rock but the hit took him clear off his walker.
Trying to contain myself I looked into his eyes, "I'm so sorry."
"Why? You didn't do it. They did it." He said.
"That does not change how I feel. I'm so sorry they hit you."
"I didn't do anything to them. They just hit poor old me in the head." As a silent deep cry takes over. "Why did they do it?! What have I ever done to them?"
"That's a question I wish I had the answer to. But what I do know is that many men in the bible were stoned, even to death, when they were innocent." A spark then lit his eyes. "I don't understand why they hit you. But I do know our Lord is a just Lord."
"But they're over there laughing."
I looked over and sure enough they were. But guilt was the cause of such laughter. It was written all over their faces. "I know, but in the end they won't be laughing. The Lord will do justice as He sees fit. Let the Lord take care of them." Surprising myself with such confidence.
"Okay." He breathed a hint of relief between sniffles.
"Steve? Did you know you are one my favorite people to see Wednesday nights?" Admits the tears his eyes lit up. "You greet people with such warmth. The Lord simply shines through you! I love seeing you when I get here!" [That's partly why I believe the guilty men hit him. Because Steve is such a servant and man of peace.]
"Really?" He says.
"You betcha." Throughout our conversation I learned he moved to AR, from San Diego, and moved in with his son. Soon after his son kicked him out right before taking his fathers money. "Where am I going to go?" Steve recalled thinking. He had nothing and nowhere to turn to. "My money went to his white rap music and I don't like that junk. Every other word is a cuss word. Back in my day we didn't have that! I can't stand to be around that junk." I softly chuckled being able to relate at least to that.
This night soon unfolded into a dramatic scene. Steve doubled over coughing and barely breathing. "Someone call Emergency and get the police and ambulance out here!" While calling emergency I watched my dear 57year old friend practically black out. "Yes we're at Hope Park...." Within minutes the sirens were heard, Steve was alert, and the guilty men fled in a car.
"Whoa boy, they got the top dog out here tonight. That cop is mean. I know because he's taken me to jail before. He'll taze ya!" Kelly informs a couple of us.
 |
| Church Without Walls. Gathering every Sunday and Wednesday to minister primarily to our homeless community. |
Until next time! See ya (-=
[And for the men who ran away. I HOPE they see the error of their wrong and own up to it. I so hope to see change in them! Hopefully they will stop running and learn a different way of living. I imagine it would be so much nicer. Please pray for them as they are very broken people too.]
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