He's been working at his new job for about a month, now.
We drive him to work. We drive him to the laundra-mat. We drive him to the grocery store. We drive him to pay his bills. We drive him to local Doctor's appointments.
Tenn-Care drives him to Doctor's appointments out of town.
He's had more than a few Doctor's appointments. There was a car accident, years ago. They're telling him that without physical therapy or surgery his back won't get much better.
We first met him by Divine Appointment. GOD ARRANGED THE INTRODUCTION!!
Here's how it happened.
It was early one morning. I was taking a lady to work. As we drove down the highway, she spotted him hobbling along the side of the road. The lady squeals, "Hey, I KNOW HIM!. HE WORKS WITH ME!"
Now, that, in itself, would not be so unusual. what was unusual was the set of circumstances that had brought us to be right there at that spot at that particular time. As a matter of fact, if all had been normal, and according to plan, we wouldn't have even been ON THAT ROAD!
Earlier that morning when I picked this lady up, I had actually turned the WRONG WAY out of her driveway! She thought that, maybe, I had another pick-up that I hadn't told her about, so she didn't say anything.
The fact of the matter was, she had only been working her NEW JOB for about a week, and I was getting ready to take her to her OLD JOB! I was probably about one cup of coffee short of active brain activity.
So, finally, when we were about TEN MILES from where she really needs to go, she figures out what I'm doing. She get's up her nerve and says, "Do you remember that I work in Columbia, now?"
YIKES!! (Lord, how could you ever use a scatter-brain like me? How will we ever get this ministry off the ground when I can't even remember where people are going? Now this lady's probably going to be late for work.). I apologize, we both share a bit of a half-hearted chuckle over my mistake, I turn the van around and we head back in the right direction.
That's when WE SEE HIM! Actually, she sees him. I'm not seeing anything very well. I'm too busy wallowing in my own self-centered discouragement, beating myself up for wasting this lady's time and getting MUMs behind schedule.
The lady squeals, "Hey, I KNOW him. HE WORKS WITH ME."
Stop the van. Pull over to the side of the road. Back up along the shoulder. The door opens. Grunts and groans as he settles his stiff body into the seat. Salutations to his co-worker. Introductions to me. Pleasantries. Seems to be a nice guy.
Then she tells him that we never would have seen him this morning if I hadn't made a mistake and gone the wrong way.
"Well, however you got here, I'm glad you did." He said, " I was sure PRAYING FOR SOME HELP."
Epiphany!! Light breaks through the fog of my despair!
Sweet peace floods my soul. I remember, earlier this morning, before the sun came up, walking and praying and asking God to USE ME today, however HE SEES FIT!
WELL, HE DID! O.K., the pity-party is over! It's celebration time!
Let's TELL THIS MAN what God has done!
Let's TELL THIS MAN that God HIMSELF
arranged a ride for him this morning, in answer to his prayer.
Let's TELL HIM God must love him VERY MUCH.
And then let's tell him that, "YES, WE CAN!" give him transportation to and from work every day, as long as he needs it!
I breathe a sigh of relief, along with a "Thank You, Lord" !!
We WERE "on schedule", after all!!
It's just that we were on GOD'S schedule, instead of MY schedule!
Christmas??: His one main wish for Christmas is to be able to spend some time on Christmas day with his 12 year old son who lives in Hohenwald.. Please remember him in your prayers. God knows his name . . . . . . He arranged a ride for him back about six months ago!!
I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- (Psalm 121:1-3a NIV)
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness, and just be happy." Guillaume
