Cautiously Optimistic!

A man walked into our sister church, Bible Chapel Church, just a bit over a couple of weeks ago.  He dropped a substantial donation in the plate. 

Substantial?  Well, I'm not saying that it was enough to have them then buy a brand new church.  Quite a bit less than that, by far.  But it was quite a bit more - by far - than just a twenty in the kiddy collection!

Then, as one Sabbath visit turned into two, it came out that he was homeless.  And without any means of support.  At 67, he had no job.  No home.  But he did have a car.

He had used that car to come from Texas to here.

We had no openings at 490 Outreach at the moment, but we will have an opening by the 18th of this month.  So I've offered, and he's accepted, to stay with us then. 

I reviewed his situation with him - well over half of our "aid" to others is just in hooking them up with the right set of circumstances, as many are unaware of the opportunities out there. 

I asked about jobs and skills and records and such, to see what could or could not be done.  In the course of this, I asked what was his base income now.  He said he had none.  I asked, "Well, what about your Social Security?"  He said he had none.

Wait...what?  I asked why he had not applied for it.  He said he almost did once, but some pop up on the online application was asking about his housing status and he thought he somehow then didn't qualify.

I let him know that Social Security was only a matter of if you worked and were a certain age.  He was skeptical, but I got him to agree to let me take him to the Social Security office.

I picked him up at the motel he was at - the kind folks at Bible Chapel had put him up there till they could figure out how best to aid him.  I took him to the Social Security office.  I assured him it would be okay.  I said that even if they "only" gave him $600 a month, our charge for a place to stay was only $280 a month, so he could not fail.

I related to him Matthew 6:33.  He said he understood.  As we sat and waited, for a long time, he shared how he got here.  A vision.  He didn't call it a vision, but that's what it boiled down to.  He saw "Toronto".  But knew it wasn't Canada. 

He checked Google maps in Illinois and saw at one point the word "Toronto".  As in the Toronto Rd. exit just south of Springfield.  And he got in his car and came here.  He had also seen a pretty white church in his view of the satellite image of our town.

And that church was Bible Chapel.  So he went there.  He said he knew the Sabbath was the seventh day.

Such things are a lot to digest.  You read or hear of such things, usually in some faith-based magazine, or on some evangelical video, usually far off, and if you're like me, sometimes you believe it, sometimes you don't. 

In our sober living home business, I take any exciting prospect with what I call "cautious optimism".  I hope for the best, but will not be surprised by anything less than best.  As I tell my wife, "Time will tell."

Well, it was his turn at the Social Security office.  He qualified alright.  And then some.  And for quite a bit more than $600.  Never mind how much, more than some folks I know, and enough to tell me that his work history had been quite, quite healthy.

And my optimism about a man's prospects always shoots way up any time I see that he is or was a hard worker!

Frankly, I was massively excited.  Given the cost of living in Springfield, he can now have a perfectly normal and comfortable life.  And I was quick to point out to him that this was a clear and obvious blessing from God. 

I've seen that kind of thing before - a person put off from what they needed and were owed, simply for misunderstanding it or not following through or even not having heard of it.  Usually just thinking they don't qualify or that something is for "others" not them. 

We reviewed his now many other options.  He'll be using our address for his mail.  He'll still be staying with us when that opening comes up, until he can get a bank account and some savings to then see what apartments are available.

He'll still be attending Bible Chapel. 

Meanwhile, he's not up for staying at a local shelter, I can't say I entirely blame him.  He's roughing it in his car, in a safe place, I've had to do that before, and know that it affords a bit more freedom and dignity than some shelters.

And I let him know that I can get him a shower every few days if he wants, and laundry facilities. 

I was able to get him an emergency box of food from the food pantry at Springfield First Seventh-day Adventist Church.  12 meals that don't have to be cooked, all in one handy box!  And our church also has quilts, so I let him pick one, because even if it's warm, the nights can still be cool. (I was, as an aside, also pleased as punch about the synergy I'm seeing between two local Adventist churches and our own Adventist-themed non-profit! This man needed a variety of things, and here between our churches and charities, we were getting him all those things!)

I dropped him off in the care of Brother Allen, from Bible Chapel.  And called the next day to make sure all is on track.  That was yesterday.  I'm still thinking about the man and his situation.  How funny and odd life is. 

I know what some are thinking.  What's the catch?  Well, I asked him all the usual questions, if there is a "catch" I've yet to come across it.  He says he simply wishes a fresh start.  I can personally understand that.  I had my own some years ago, but at an age still older than some.

So his is a bit older than mine, I still get it.  And perhaps he'll have more to share about the whys of that later.  Meanwhile, any man who simply attends church each week, harms none and does the right things to progress - well, if that's all a man does, that's enough in my book.

I'm cautiously optimistic!  Not for his success - I know for sure he can succeed now, it would, short of booze and drugs, be impossible to materially fail!  No, my cautious optimism is that he may well have been led here to learn more about our Savior and our faith, and to find a church home where he can spiritually grow and progress!

As I told a brother at Bible Chapel yesterday - those stories we read about this kind of thing in some Adventist magazine or Guideposts or such...maybe we're in one of those stories now!  Maybe this is his life's turn around point, and baptism and prosperity are here for him, right in our very backyard!

Time will tell!