Walter Made it Home

Walter was born in Babylon, NY, a city on Long Island about thirty miles east of New York City. When Walter was about 10 years old, his older brother took him into the city and "showed him the ropes." Walter was so intrigued with what he saw that he started slipping out of the house after his mom had gone to bed and going into the city to find out what life was about. He would catch the Long Island Railroad at Amityville, change in Queens, and wind up in the middle of Brooklyn. Imagine this: On the streets of New York City, associating with drug dealers, at the age of ten! Almost immediately, Walter was selling drugs–everything from pot to meth to cocain–and before he reached his teens, he had tried every substance known to that culture, from LSD to crack cocain.

For reasons he can’t understand, Walter never became addicted to the drugs, but he was addicted to big money he was making, the fun he was having, and the thrill of not getting caught. In fact, Walter was so good at not getting caught, he kept this up until he was in his twenties before ever getting arrested. He left New York and moved to Morgantown, WV. This was a whole different world, one Walter new knew existed. People didn’t lock up their houses. They left the keys in their cars. They made work easy for guys like Walter. This is when Walter’s way of life began to catch up with him. Before he knew it, he was facing a long list of misdemeanors and several felonies. After a few breaks in several courtrooms, the inevitable took place and Walter went to prison for over a decade. The joy ride was over.

Walter got out of prison in February of this year and, after a few stops here and there, he wound up on the streets of Durham. After a few days, someone told him about a street preacher who conducted Bible meetings at the park at the center of town and Walter decided he would check it out. He came to the meeting on Wednesday and heard the message on "The Holy Spirit and His Power to Change Your Life." He said he knew that was what he needed, but he wasn’t ready to "take the plunge." I announced the meeting at the Bridge on Saturday, and he knew he wasn’t going to miss that. He came to the Bridge and I talked about "Free Water," the living water Jesus offers everyone who will thirst, come, and drink. Walter said he was thirsty, but couldn’t find the courage to come forward, even though nearly thirty others stepped out.

Walter walked away from the bridge, convicted, convinced, but still unyielding to the call of the Holy Spirit. He walked about twenty blocks, made several turns, and wound up at Holloway Street at Hyde Park. I had parked my car near that very intersection and was walking down the sidewalk to meet with someone else when I found myself face-to-face with Walter. He started to cry and said, "God! What’s going on?" I said, "What’s going on, Walter, is that God has set his loving heart on you and will chase you all over town to show you that love!"

Right there on that noisy, busy street, Walter prayed to receive Christ and made a firm commitment to serve Him for the rest of his life. I left him there with tears in his eyes and broad smile on his face. Walter knew he would never be the same. Two days later, as I was sharing Christ with another man in the center of town, the bus stopped and Walter stepped off. Here we were again, face-to-face. This time, Walter announced, "I really got saved Saturday!" He told me the story I have just shared with you.

Walter began attending every meeting we had including a small group meeting on Monday afternoons. He freely joined in the Bible discussions and prayed aloud, interceding for his family and friends and asking God for grace and strength to continue his new walk of faith. I met with Walter numerous times, having coffee with him, taking him for job interviews, and praying with him concerning struggles and temptations he was having. Walter became a faithful servant, helping set up chairs and equipment for the meetings and helping deliver furniture and groceries to people in need. I was thrilled to see him grow in his walk with the Lord day after day.

A few weeks ago, Walter went to visit family members in Wheeling, WV. I expected his return in a week or so, but I neither saw nor heard from him. I tried numerous times to call him but there was no answer on his cell phone. Today, I began to search the web, hoping to find a contact number for his dad or a relative. Instead, my eyes fell on the headlines from Wheeling, WV, "Man Identified in I-70 Pedestrian Crash" and there was the name of my friend, Walter, 38 years old, struck down by a transfer truck, and killed instantly.

Throughout this day, my heart has been filled with two overlapping emotions: Sadness because I loved this young man so much, and thankfulness because through God’s mercy I was given the opportunity to share the gospel with him and see him come to faith in Christ. I knew this day would come when one of "my boys" would depart this life–I thought it would be one of the older ones–but I am reminded that death does not discriminate on the basis of age. I have loved these men and women on the street more than I ever thought possible, but from today on, I will look upon them with a stronger conviction that says, "This could be the next one to slip into eternity; I must make every moment count!"

Please pray that God will help us reach more and more Walters.

Joe: "Nothing and no one is worth the hell I go through."

Just after parking my car this morning, I met Santiago “Joe” huddled under some small bushes at the corner of the parking lot, trying to stay warm on this bitterly cold day. I struck up a conversation with Joe and within a very few minutes I knew that this was a divine appointment.

Joe grew up in New Orleans in a very traditional Italian Catholic family. They went to mass every Sunday and celebrated all the holidays, so Joe always though of himself as a Christian, though he never had a personal encounter with Christ.

Just before he turned twenty years old, Joe went to war in Vietnam and there experienced things that would change his life forever. When he came home to New Orleans, the world was a different place than he had left. No, actually, Joe was a very different person who had left a few short years earlier. He no longer knew who he was or where he fit in his used-to-be world. He began treatments for PTSD and started self-medicating for his deeper hurts with alcohol and illicit drugs. In short order, his family lost patience with him, gave him a sum of money, and told him to leave, not come back, and never again ask them for anything.

When the money ran out, Joe found himself hungry and destitute. He went into a restaurant one day and asked for food. When they refused, he said, “Then, empty the cash register and give me all of it.” He was arrested, convicted, and spent the next years of his life in prison, more than twelve months of it in solitary confinement. When he was released from prison, Joe found that he had compounded his problems. Now, on top of his depression, his addictions, and his decimated self-image, he had a couple of felonies on his record. He spent the next ten years homeless and often pennyless.

Finally, earlier this year, Joe got himself a room. He couldn’t believe how good it felt to have a place of his own. He was “very thankful,” he said. He never took it for granted for a single minute. Then, about three weeks ago, his nightmare resumed as he got his eviction notice. He showed the paper to me stating that he had violated his rental agreement by having overnight guests. Joe said, “I remembered what it was like on the street, and I couldn’t say no to a couple of my homeless friends. I let them stay.”

Joe went to the VA Hospital where he was given twenty Ativan for his stress. He took them–all of them–along with eight beers. “I had had enough of this *** world. I was ready to leave.”

I said, “Joe, you have to find something or some one worth living for.”

He said, “There is nothing and there is no one worth the hell I go through.”

And I answered, “There is one, Joe, and you need to run as fast as you can to the arms of Jesus. He’s waiting for you.”

He started to cry. “This is twice this year I have cried. What the h*** is wrong with me?” He paused for a minute, then said, “I’m going to tell you something which, once I have told you, you might not want to talk to me anymore.” Then he told me of the abuse he had suffered at the hands of one who called himself a “Rev.” “I hated that SOB,” he said, as he told me of the way he and others had been exploited by this “man of the cloth.” Tragically, Joe couldn’t separate this man from the God he claimed to represent. His heart turned against the man, the church, and anything that reminded him of the things he had suffered.

“Joe, please understand that man was an imposter. He didn’t present the real Jesus to you. Just as there are frauds in every segment of society, there are false Christians who misrepresent everything that God is about.” I talked with Joe for the better part of an hour, urging to forget everything he thought he knew about God and simply believe the gospel–the good news as I shared it with him.

Joe allowed me to pray with him. I said, “You need a coat, Joe, it’s cold out here, and I think I have one to fit you.”

“You don’t have one big enough for me,” he said.

But I opened the trunk of my car and said, “Do you need a 2x or a 2x?” I had some excellent, brand new coats to choose from.

“God did send you to me!” Joe said.

I said, “Joe, you haven’t seen anything yet! Just love God and let him love you. He has been longing to show you how much he cares about you.”

Joe said, “Can I hug you?”

“Absolutely!” We’ll be talking soon. Joe promised he would see me Wednesday in the park and again on Christmas Day. I love this life.

Tracy: "When you're prosperous and successful, Jesus loves you . . . "

Tracy came from northern Illinois, the only child of her parents who divorced when she was very young. She was shuttled back and forth between her mother who remained in Illinois and her father who had moved to Minnesota. Tracy did well in school and was granted an academic scholarship to college. After graduation, she moved to Florida to begin teaching in a public school and pursue her Masters in elementary education.

After earning her Masters and chalking up fourteen years in a successful teaching career, Tracy’s life started coming unraveled. Either she never knew, couldn’t remember, or was ashamed to say what actually happened, but her teaching career came to an abrupt end when she not only lost her job, but also her teaching certificate. Tracy did the only thing she knew to do. Since her father had passed away, she went home to her mother. She told me that her mother was incensed that she had failed, and told her that she was not welcome in her home. Feeling rejected and alone, Tracy turned in desperation to anything that could give her a measure of relief from the pain she was experiencing. "I’m broken and ruined," she said, "my life is an absolute wreck. If something doesn’t happen soon to help me turn my life around, I’m not going to survive." It was very obvious from the desperation in her eyes and the stress in her voice that she believed every word she was saying.

It was then that I said to Tracy, "God can help you. Your life has not gotten so out of whack that God cannot take it in His strong loving hands and put it back together."

Tracy then cast her eyes aside in a look of cynicism and said, "God’s not going to do anything for me." She went on to tell me of her experience with "church." Her mother had been banned from communion and shunned by the congregation when she and Tracy’s father had divorced. Although she and her mother attended church from time to time after that, it was always a painful experience. As far as she was concerned, the rejection she felt from the church and religious people meant God has rejected her too. "Let me tell you how it is," Tracy continued, "When you’re successful and prosperous, Jesus loves you. But when you’re down and out, he’s nowhere to be found."

By this time, Tracy’s eyes were glistening with tears. I said, "No, Tracy! That’s not the Bible Jesus. That’s the religious Jesus–the fake Jesus that has been invented by religious people. The Jesus of the Bible is close to broken people. That’s the reason he came to earth–it was for people who have screwed up their lives so badly they think there’s no hope for them. There is nothing you could have done, no mistake you could have made, no sin you could have committed that would lessen his love for you. He will take you exactly as you are, forgive you, cleanse you, restore you, and give you the life you have always wanted–the life you were created to live."

She cried, "All I want is to go home. I want my mother to hug me and tell me she loves me. I want us to go to church and be accepted. I want to be connected with the people I love."

And I said, "I want this for you, Tracy, but you can pin your hopes on what Mom might do or what the church might do. You have to put your trust in God alone. He is the only one who cannot fail you."

She continued to say, "But if my mom would just . . . if the church would just . . . if the family would just . . . " Tracy is where so many homeless, hopeless, hapless people are: looking and waiting for someone to care about them and help lift them out of their pit of despair. We must do what we can to come to their aid, but we must never fail to point them to Christ. At the end of the day, He is the only one who can turn their lives around.

Pray for Tracy and the thousands of other Tracys out there who are lost and lonely. And pray for us as we seek to be God’s loving hand extended to them.

Tammy: Can't believe what God is doing!

A few weeks ago, a friend and I were searching in a patch of woods known as "tent city" (a place where homeless people set up camp) for a couple to whom we had been ministering. We didn’t find the couple right of way but encountered a lady who called herself "Tammy." She told us she had just been assaulted and her purse had been taken. I thought she was remarkably calm to have just experienced that sort of thing, but she explained that this was a fairly common occurrence in her world.

My heart went out to Tammy. What path had brought her to her current place. She seemed as willing to answer the questions as I was to ask them and laid out a story of heartache and disappointment that would break the hardest heart. She had opened herself up again and again to people who has used, abused, and abandoned her. She had sought relief in substances that had only brought more pain and bondage. Now, Tammy was without family, without friends, and without a home. She had been sleeping under the stars for months. Her dream? To see her children again.

I tried to assure Tammy that her situation was not hopeless, that God cared for her, and the He could restore all that had been lost through the tragic life she had lived. It seemed as though she was trying to believe me, but it had been a long time since she had seen a ray of hope. I asked if we could pray with her and she gladly consented. I prayed that God would impart to Tammy the faith she needed to reach out to Him for healing and restoration. She wept as she prayed for mercy and forgiveness and to be reunited with her children. I have prayed for Tammy since that day and, on the couple occasions on which I have seen her, have encouraged her to keep following Christ and trusting God to work miracles in her life.

Now for an update: A few days ago, Bobbi (a lady who, along with her husband, Ron, puts a lot of time and energy into Meet Me at the Bridge) told me of a national ladies’ conference she was attending and that she would like to sponsor someone who might not be able to attend otherwise. Tammy’s face immediately flashed in my mind. "I know just the lady!" I hadn’t seen Tammy for a few weeks, but I sensed that, if this was God’s plan, He would make it possible. My intention was to ask around today whether anyone had seen Tammy. I was joined by a friend and we began our walk down Main Street. Within two blocks, there stood Tammy. "I don’t know why I came this way," she said.

"I do," I replied, "you and I have an appointment."

"We do?"

"Yes. Not an appointment we set, but one that God set. He intended for us to meet right here, right now." I told Tammy about the ladies’ conference and that some women wanted her to attend at their expense. She would stay in a nice hotel, enjoy some great meals, fellowship with some wonderful ladies, and attend a conference where God could speak to her and do wonderful things in her life. She was overjoyed and almost speechless. She never imagined that she would get to do something like that.

So, Debbie (another vital worker in Meet Me at the Bridge) will pick Tammy up on Thursday, take her home with her for the night, then leave Friday with a bunch of other women for conference. They will love and pamper Tammy for the whole weekend and, by the time they return, we believe Tammy is going to be a very different person than when she left. Keep Tammy in your prayers. God is doing something incredible in her life!

Marlo: "La vida es muy difícil para mí ahora."

One of the appointments God had for me this morning was with Marlo. I met him in the park at Main and Mangum, the park where we have our Wednesday Bible meetings. He was sitting alone at one of the picnic tables reading a Spanish newspaper. As I greeted him, he seemed a little surprised, but seemed to welcome the interruption. Marlo is from Brazil. He came to the US about two years ago with several members of his family. They tried unsuccessfully to find work and soon became discouraged and returned to Brazil–that is, everyone but Marlo. He has a dream of making a better life for himself in America and wasn’t willing to give up that dream until now. He has become disheartened and feels on the verge of giving up. He said to me, "La vida es muy difícil para mí ahora [Life is very hard for me now]." He has no job, no friends, and very little hope. I assured Marlo that there is always hope in Christ and that we wanted to be his friends.

As I assured Marlo of God’s love for him and that God has a plan and purpose for his life, it was obvious that the Holy Spirit was speaking to his heart. I offered to pray with him and he was eager for me to do so. He gripped my hand and agreed with me in prayer. I then called my friend, Mainor, and put him on the line with Marlo to encourage him and speak some wisdom into his life as a fellow-immigrant.

I invited Marlo to Meet Me at the Bridge tomorrow and he assured me that he would be there. I will help link him with some Spanish-speaking brothers who can strengthen him in his walk with the Lord. Just after leaving Marlo, I received a call from Antonio, my friends from Mexico, asking if I could meet him in the Market Square and pray with him. I will meet him, pray with him, then hook him up with Marlo. God is good!

Dan: I don't have any problems

The business at which Dan has been employed for several years closed a few weeks ago and he has been unable to find another job. Since he was living from week to week, it didn’t take long for his funds to run out and two weeks ago he found himself broke and homeless for the first time in his life.

For a man of sixty years who has never been in this predicament and hasn’t developed the skills to survive on the street, Dan seemed remarkably unbothered by it. When I asked him how he was handling his situation with such serenity, he simply said, "I’m right in the palm of God’s hand. God will take care of me. In fact," he said, "I think God has a purpose in having me right where he as me right now. He has a purpose in everything, you know." (Who’s preaching to who here?)

Dan went on to say, "I am learning things here on the street I could never have learned anywhere else." When I asked him what he had learned thus far, he said, "The first thing I have learned is that I don’t really have any problems. I see people out here whose lives are ruined and they don’t know what to do. I see mothers--sometimes with little children--who don’t have any way to provide food and shelter for their little ones. I’m sixty years old and have never been sick a day in my life. I am able to carry all my belongings in these bags that must weigh 50 or 60 pounds. No sir!" he said, "I don’t have any problems!"

I left Dan today with a renewed awareness that it’s not problems that define our lives, it’s perspective. Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things, God’s works to the good of those who love him and who are the called according to his purpose for them."

I’m praying for Dan–that I will be more like him.

Tommy: I changed my mind; you can pray for me.

In all my years of ministry, those who have refused my offer to pray with them have numbered only a handful. One such case was Tommy, a man in his mid-forties who just got out of prison a couple weeks ago. As Milton and I were ministering to some men on Main street last week, Tommy came into my field of vision and my urge to pray for him caused me to literally run him down. He sat and talked with us for about half and hour, telling us of his years in prison. Upon his release, since he had no permanent address, he was brought bu DOC to Durham to a transitional facility. Tommy wasn’t happy there at all–they were just "too religious" to suit him. He would rather sleep on the street than to be there.

As we shared the gospel with Tommy, he listened politely but without expression. When I offered prayer, he refused, got up, and walked away as though I had offended him. I reminded Milton (maybe I was reminding myself) that it is not our responsibility to bring about an immediate effect but to faithfully sow the seed and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.

Today, I am walking along at a pretty good clip and I hear someone behind me calling out, "Hey, preacher, wait up." I turned around to see Tommy chasing me down the street. When he caught up, he said, "I was wondering if we could talk some more." I took Tommy to lunch and continued the conversation we had started a week earlier.

Tommy told me of a painful childhood that left him confused, angry, and afraid. He spent four years in the Army, traveled from place to place, engaged in all kinds of behavior–good and bad–in an effort to find peace and satisfaction in his life. He has tried to tell himself it doesn’t matter, that he doesn’t need anything anybody. He describes himself as a survivor. And that’s what Tommy has been doing: surviving.

I said, "Tommy, it’s time you came to realize that there is more to life than just surviving. God has a wonderful, productive, fulfilling life in store for you and all you have to do is to give yourself over fully to him. Ask him to forgive you, cleanse you, and heal you of all the wounds of your past." Tommy agreed to do that and I prayed with him. I prayed that God would reveal his love to Tommy, that he would show him his true worth in God’s sight, and create within him a passionate hunger for God.

Tommy promised me that he would listen carefully for God’s voice and that he would follow him the rest of his life. He has promised to come to the meeting at the Bridge on Saturday. Meanwhile, I know where he hangs out and will be checking up on him. Pray for Tommy that he will follow the Lord and come into God’s perfect plan for his life.