Who Said That, WAS THAT ME?

Day three in New York

OK, today is day three and I've had to sleep on this micro bed again. I miss that big bed back in the USA where I live.I stayed up last night to study and seek the LORD for a message to the masses today. We are off to St. Paul's Mission to bring spiritual food and a good meal to the homeless. Now the St. Paul's mission is not quiet like St. Paul's. It is a section of a building and no way resembles a mission. After walking and running (in my case a brisk job) to the subway via stairs and more stairs we arrived and were directed to a stair way going down which was almost big enough for me height and width wise. There we found a fairly large room with a few guys drinking coffee. I had been praying ever since my eyes had opened after my brief night's rest that God's Spirit would speak through me and that I would be able to take off "Walden" and put on Jesus.

As we began the numbers increased till we had 40 maybe 50 men and women some what eager to get on with "the day." Some excellent singing and music and then it was my turn...

Now I have to inject something here to show you how He works...

I'd been praying about my future and what I could do when I retired from assistant principling. I've had lot of opportunities to speak for the LORD mostly during high school and college. I did love it so but the time came when I needed to put my efforts into other things like Libby, Anna, and Katie. I've been praying for the opportunity to speak for a long time and here it was. God had answered my prayer,not a grand scale like speaking to hundreds of people but in a no less important stage, the St. Paul's homeless shelter. It was at that moment, that very moment when the last song was sang that I actually felt the "Walden" melt away and the Jesus begin to speak. Nothing that they'll write an article in the New York Times about but a moment it time where Christ reached out to a bunch of homeless hurting needful people and one fat white guy.

I guess to those observing you could say things when OK but to me, I will never be the same. Afterwards we helped put up tables and chairs and as I sled a chair under one table this mid-aged guy came up to me and began to thank me and shared with me the love of God. We both celebrated the love of God right there. I looked deep into his eyes and stared deep inside him. He began to sing "this is the day, this is the day that the LORD has made that the LORD has made. I will rejoice I will rejoice in him.." His voice got softer and softer and found myself singing the next word as if he was waiting for me to sing with him as a confirmation of the presence of God. Yes, we sang the whole song standing there. Me staring at him, he staring at me and the whole while people around us moving tables and chairs. GLORY TO GOD!

WOW! I can close my eyes and see that guy right now.

OK, it was meal time and we brought the food from up stairs to the guys in this lower room and then cleaned the entire place. The same room we had worshiped in a hour before I was now moping. Got hot in there too. I've always been a sweater and today was no different. Soaking wet was the order of the day.

The Bowery Mission Chapel and de choir.

Off we go because we were meeting the others for our second service for the day at the Bowery Mission. More waling, stairs, subways and more stairs. We arrived at the RED DOORS of the Bowery and entered the chapel. A beautiful sanctuary where we would sing and bring another message. Since we had hooked up with the rest of the group they began to practice and I began to pray again. The prayer was the same for the "Walden" to melt away and Jesus take over. This time I had the whole choir and support, not like the 10 at St. Paul's.I wanted them all to experience what I had felt at St. Paul's. I shared with them what our purpose was and that they played a role in everything that would happen. I asked each one to take a pew and pray for those who would sit on that pew being as specific as they could that Christ would speak to them specifically.

As the service began I stood in the back and listened to the choir sing and sing they did. It was clear that they had opened themselves to God's will of telling the Gospel. It prepared the chapel and certainly prepared me. As they ended the singing I began to walk from the back of the chapel telling everyone I passed that "He is here today, He is here for you today." I don't remember much after that but afterwards a bunch came up and said things went well and that the way I added the accent was great. What accent?? Well, I'll never know, but God is good and he answered my prayers and it was a great experience.

I was exhausted after that and after some sight seeing I decided to stay in as the heathen members of the family went to a song a dance restaurant that night.

So what did I learn this day about New York. Well, sounds like another list to me...

What I learned about New York on the third day:

1. New York folk don't smile.

2. New York folk wear sun glasses so you can't see their eyes.

3. They don't put up the stairs at night in New York.

4. God answers prayer, even in New York.