.....just to keep me from bragging about being right. Because you know I would've!

Here's a story for you......

We started feeding on Tuesday nights in the winter, because that's when St James church was running the Homeless shelter. They ran it during the cold months and quit when it warmed up, roughly November through March. Me and my 10th grade guys bible study were doing random acts of kindness instead of just sitting around talking, so one of the things we did was bring Hot chocolate to the people standing in line to get in the shelter. The shelter opened at 8;30 and the line would start forming about 7:30. Depending on which volunteers were working that night, check-in could move very slowly, so it was not unusual for someone to spend at least an hour in line on a cold night.
We did it a couple of times and it was well received and we figured it wouldn't cost that much more or be any harder to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to give out with the Hot Chocolate and that led to Hot dogs, which led to bigger meals .....
By the end of the winter we were serving between 30 and 50 people and doing pretty good.

The question we had was "What do we do when the shelter closes for the season and there's not a reason for people to be there? Do we keep on serving or just move on to something else and start back again in the fall when the shelter reopens?"

We decided to let them know we would continue and that we would still be there serving food on Tuesday nights. And for awhile it was good, not as many people showing up, but still a respectable number.

Then, the guys got busier at school, we started having less people show up, I was having trouble giving out all the food, etc. I started thinking maybe we should call it quits and find something else to do.

So, one night in the spring that's what I prayed. I told God that if we only saw 8 or 9 guys and nobody came out to help, that would be a sign for me to pull the plug and nobody could or would fault me for it.

Well, we cooked Hot dogs that night. I say "we" because it was only me and Gary McKnight. Nobody else. Strike one!

We got down to Market St. and set up and by 8:15 had seen a grand total of 8 guys come through. Strike Two!

We were at the table waiting and I saw a woman walk up and look around. She didn't say anything to me but I could tell she wanted to. So I asked her If I could help her. She said maybe. She was looking for someone but didn't see him. She didn't do a great job describing him but I told her I would keep an eye out for him. Then she asked me what we were doing. I said we cooked food and fed people, mostly homeless, every Tuesday night. I didn't tell her that in my mind I had pretty much seen Strikes One and Two come through and I was ready call "Ball Game!"

She looked at me funny and said "Really?".
I said "Yeah."

She walked across Market St. and got in a car with someone and they sat there for a while.
Gary and I were serving seconds to some guys when I heard the car start up and I looked around and saw it head towards 3rd St. and then do a U-turn and pull up behind us. The passenger window came down and the driver said "Hey, come here."
So I did.
The lady I had spoken to was still in the passenger seat but didn't say anything. The driver, which was also a lady, leaned across the passenger and thrust out her hand to give me something and said " Keep feeding those guys"

I was leaned over looking in the car as I took what she handed me so I didn't look at it
directly but I knew 2 things immediately- It was money and a $50 bill was on top.
I stuck it straight into my pocket and said "Yes ma'am. 'Preciate it.".

She straightened up, put it in Drive and pulled away.
I walked over and stood beside Gary and started fixing a guy a Hot Dog.
He looked at me and said 'Did she give you something?
"Yep"
"Was it money?"
"Yep" *

When the guys were through and it was just me and him we walked over to the back of the truck.
"How much was it?"

You know how sometimes you just know something. Who it is on the phone or what someone's gonna say... you just know.

I was pretty sure I knew.

"Well, there's a $50 on top and it feels thick. I think it's $1000."
"What? No way."

So I took it out and we counted it. I was wrong.

It was $950.

It's hard for me to explain exactly how I felt at after that. I was immediately humbled at how Awesome God can be. I was also chastised and pretty blown away by how far off the mark I had been about what I was praying for and why.
I had been praying the wrong thing. All my signs were negative. I hadn't been praying for God to give me a sign to continue, I had been praying for reasons to quit.
I hadn't said God help me hang in there and focus on the good we're doing. I was thinking we were wasting time and resources that could be used somewhere else.
Instead of allowing me a reason to quit, God provided the opportunity to continue, which is what I should've been praying in the first place. Good thing God didn't listen me.

So here we are 4 years later. Lot of changes but the same purpose and mission.

I would not recognize either one of those ladies again if they walked up to me today. No chance.
"Yes ma'am. 'Preciate it" isn't exactly a $950 "Thank You" either. I would like to think one day I'll see them again and get a chance to do better.

I almost think God made it $950 to keep me from being right about the amount without counting it.........
g




*I know what you're thinking. That guy's got a real command of the English Language.