Last week, while enjoying some beers and pizza with my friends at the Toad House, I was approached by a lady who clearly did not have a home. Her name is Tammy. She stopped at the window to make silly faces at us. After a few moments, she decided to come in side and sit down beside us.
She quickly began to share that somebody had taken all of her supplies and that she was hungry. She also pointed out that the sole on her shoe had fallen off and that her shoes were soaking up water making her feet cold and uncomfortable. A few of the guys at our table began to take out their wallets to give her whatever cash they had on hand. We all realized though, that the cash was not going to take care of her wet feet.
As our conversation progressed, it became clear to me that God wanted me to get Tammy some new shoes so that her feet could be dry and comfortable. We made arrangements to meet the next day at noon at the trailhead leading into the woods in the Safeway parking lot. It was a date.
The next day, I went shopping for shoes with my wife. We found Tammy some pretty sweet leather waterproof hiking shoes. We also picked Tammy up a dozen pair of socks. I headed off to meet Tammy at the trailhead hoping she would remember our conversation from the night before.
As I approached the trailhead, I saw a head pop out from behind the bushes. It was Tammy. Her face lit up when she saw me with my large bag. She was so happy that I had kept my word. She immediately invited me into the woods to meet some of her friends. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive, but knew that loving her would mean more than helping from a distance.
I followed Tammy into the woods and met her boyfriend, Karl. They have been a couple for years and were now living in the woods together. Karl seemed pretty excited to see me and I was pretty happy to meet him too.
I suggested that we go sit on a bench in front of Safeway so that Tammy could put on her new shoes. We walked over, and Tammy sat down to try out her new duds. She took off her old shoes and socks and threw them away. She put the new socks on and then looked at me as if to say “are you going to put those new shoes on my feet?” Well, I did just that. She laced up her shoes and immediately began dancing with a wide grin on her face.
I then asked if she and Karl were hungry. I took them inside and we got some hot food and drinks. We sat together outside of Safeway, while they shared their life story. They met in Los Angeles when Karl was in the Army. Somehow, drug and alcohol addiction had overtaken their lives. That was literally decades ago. Now, they live in the woods as alcoholics.
When we were done, we walked slowly back to the trailhead. Karl had shared that he prayed every night that God would forgive him if he should happen to die. I explained the cross to Karl, but could tell that I was up against a great amount of religious guilt. He couldn’t quite understand that because Jesus had been punished, we no longer need to be worried about judgment if believe in Jesus.
Somehow, the topic of Easter came up and I asked Karl if he knew what Easter was all about. He confessed that he did not and I asked if it would be ok to talk about it. He agreed but reminded me that he was more religious than Tammy.
I began to talk about what the resurrection means. Colossians 1:18 says that Jesus is the first-born from among the dead. That means that what God has done in His Son Jesus, resurrection, He will do to the whole world someday. The resurrection of Jesus is a sneak peak if you will, of the New Creation that Christ purchased with his blood and resurrection.
I began to talk about what that New Creation will be like. I shared that there will be no pain, no sorrow, no sin, and no death. Jesus will make the whole world new again. I wanted Tammy and Karl to know that the shoes, socks, and food were all small, very small, tokens of that new world. It was small way of saying that Jesus is making everything new. There will be world with no hunger someday, so let me give you some food now. There will be a world free from sin and shame, so let me treat you as people of worth and dignity now that you may taste and see the goodness of King Jesus.
We ended our time in prayer. I put my hands on both of them and prayed for their protection, provision, and ultimately for their redemption. I told Karl that Jesus was more powerful than his addiction to alcohol. I asked him if would be interested in doing a Bible study sometime. He agreed. He then looked at me and cried. Tammy also began to break down. And I wept too as I stood there watching them wander back into the woods which for so many years, has been their home.
I drove away from Safeway feeling so blessed to have been able to serve them, even if only in a very small way. I knew in my heart, that there was something very right about what had just happened. God had provided me with the means to be a blessing to a people that most of us don’t see, or rather, don’t notice. The Kingdom of Jesus is good news to Tammy and Karl. And you know what? The good news that I was preparing to celebrate that weekend became even more real to me.
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