7.12.09

Earlier in the week I got a call from one of the street outreach workers that knows Otter Creek and our ministries. She had just helped a man get into an apartment (a converted hotel room) and needed some furniture for him. The apartment only came with a twin bed. I suggested that if he was physically ale, I could use the help in picking up several donations of furniture and, in exchange for his time, we’d be glad to provide him what he needed.

That’s how I met Bob. I picked him up at his apartment in the church van pulling our trailer and we headed out to several homes of Otter Creek members who had called with offers of donations. Our travel time together gave us a chance to get to know each other and learn a little about where each of us is on our journey. Seems Bob had been in Nashville for about 7 months. He arrived on the bus as a stopover on the way to Florida. He had left a northern city to start over in Florida. He started to feel anxious and frustrated on the trip so when he got off to change buses in Nashville he just decided to stay! With no one he knew in Nashville, he ended up meeting a few men who were living in tents in a wooded area not far from the bus station. Having some military experience he was pretty comfortable in that environment so he befriended a few men and moved in with them. He spent the next six months living in a tent, collecting his disability check and trying to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Not surprisingly he got back into drinking and realized he was about to lose control so 6 weeks ago he checked himself into a rehab program and spent 30 days getting sober and starting to learn about AA and the 12 steps. It was in rehab that he met the outreach worker who helped him get his apartment.

Bob is a hard worker, well spoken and a man with gifts that God is using in some pretty amazing ways. During his tent days he stumbled on a downtown church called Ethos. This group meets in a bar and concert hall on Sunday evenings. They accepted Bob and have shown him love and trust that he has never experienced. They have helped him when he was in need, but most importantly, they have journeyed with him and begun to build a relationship with Bob that Otter Creek is happy to help encourage. We picked up a trailer load of furniture, delivered it to our storage house and then delivered Bob a love seat (not enough room in his apartment for full size sofa), a chair, and end table, some lamps and a TV. It was a blessing to cross paths with Bob and be able to partner with him and Ethos to offer Otter Creek’s gifts to help him on his journey.

It took Bob and I more time than I had planned for Saturday’s pickups so I still had a few other stops to make on Sunday afternoon. Soon after church I hooked up the trailer to the church van and headed back out. It was to only be a sofa and a TV pick up so I didn’t bother with asking for help since it was the Sabbath. I got the sofa and headed south to get the TV. As I was loading the TV in a nice, upscale neighborhood a car stopped by the van and a man in a tie got out and asked if I was picking up or dropping off donations? Seems he saw the Otter Creek name on the van, had heard about us and wanted to give us some furniture if I had the room!! I loaded the TV and followed him down the street to his house. For the next 2 hours we loaded a sofa, a chest of drawers, an upright chest, a desk, a cupboard and a leather chair!! Not having anyone with me proved to be a blessing because the man and I loaded the stuff together and got to talk about Otter Creek and our ministry. He continued to say what a blessing it was to have a ministry like this – especially when I could tell him about yesterday’s experience with Bob. I met with man’s family during our loading. I learned they attend a Baptist church near Otter Creek. His wife had grown up in Hendersonville and attended church with her parents where my grandfather had preached for several years!! I continue to be touched and amazed at how God can open doors when I am willing to take the time and make the step. I really do believe that’s a huge part of following God’s calling – taking the time. It was Sunday afternoon and I had the time to make a 2 hour side trip and look what doors it opened. If I had someone with me or if it had been a Monday evening none of that might have happened.

What’s the learning? For me, it’s to try and build in enough flexibility into my schedule that when an opportunity like this presents itself, I can respond. Perhaps there’s a lesson in this for you as well. I’m convinced God is at work in this world. But if I’m too busy, have such a full calendar and so many commitments that puts me in total control of my time, then I’m not able to respond to His work. A lot of this has to do with control – will I allow God to be in control or do I want to take the steering wheel and drive the car?