it's good to be reminded

Last night (Friday), we held our monthly Community Supper, an evening each month where we invite those around us, whether in apartments, homes, motels or on the street, to join us for an evening meal and some valuable hang time. It's my favorite night of the month (those who work this ministry hear me say that each month!) because God always shows up in some significant way. And I love the time we have with many our own society has discarded as insignificant or of no real value.

Three events took place last night that humbled me again, and reminded me of the value of these evenings. As the crowd of about 100 entered our Fellowship Hall to begin the evening, Bradford, an older man who's been on the streets for years and is usually drunk (to some degree) found me. He put his hands on my shoulders and said, "You know why I come to these meals, Mike? Not because I'm hungry, but because I'm lonely, and I just have to be around people that I know love me so I won't be so lonely."

Later, one of our homeless men, Bobby (with me here), came up and told me how much he liked listening to my messages, but that he disagreed with everything that I say (I already knew this, as we've had lots of conversations!). But he wanted to make a time to sit together and hash out this entire "Christian-thing" once for all. He said he wanted lots of time to talk, discuss and argue, but that we had to settle the issue. Finally! We've prayed for him for years. Please pray this time will be life-changing for him.

As I was welcoming the group and preparing to pray to begin our evening, one of our gals approached me with a plastic bag. I figured she was needlessly interrupting what I was doing, but she told me the bag and the card with it were for me, and that I had to open them. So standing on a chair before our roomful of people, I looked into the bag and found a rug that had been purchased for me with money raised from this crowd! And opening the envelope, I found a thank-you card sign by so many of those in attendance (click the picture)! I had no idea that this project had been taking place for no apparent reason, except to say thanks. I took that card home and looked it over, reading the signatures and notes again and again. Just sitting and reading. And thinking of so many faces, lives and stories.

And I remembered why this is my favorite night of the month.