no, sir, i don't understand, but can i?

I had already been out for awhile, talking and praying with members of our church, when I returned to gather my belongings and head out for another engagement. One of the regulars came up to me and pointed me to the laundry room were there was a man who "needed to be prayed with," as she put it. I arrived at the washing room at the same time he was exiting the building. Deflecting the shutting door I followed the man outside and asked him if I could sit down with him and get to now him so we could better help him. We sat down and I talked a little. "Name...address...really your from Guam! Wow! what brought you here?...Four kids and a wife...no job...no electricity...I am so sorry...No, Sir, I don't understand what that must be like, but can I pray with you?" "We want to help you in any way possible," I said, almost pleadingly, over and over again. In all he did not want to pray. He said that the whole things was to hard to talk about. It is humiliating, you know, to have no job and to do laundry at someone else's expense. I wanted so badly for him to know he was loved, not just by me or the other staff, but by God. That's why we are here in Bremerton, even here on this planet--love for God and our neighbors. "For God so loved the world...Jesus!" Dear God, let him know your love, and bend down to feed them (Hosea 11).

This morning I met a close friend, who is a youth pastor in Tacoma, for breakfast. We talked about what was most passionate to us, so I am sure many people in the cafe overheard loud, excited remarks about "God!" Over half way through our meal our waitress approached the table and told us that she would have brought our bill, but that someone (who asked to remain anonymous) had covered it for us. After an elderly woman in the adjoining booth left we were told that she was the kind benefactress (thankfully, I had acknowledged her with a smile as she left. I actually tried to smile at everyone else to not knowing who was the silent provider.) I felt very honored.

Pray for us as we prepare for a large Christmas gathering at the Oasis on December 20 and the caroling that precedes the event tomorrow night.