Tonight, Under the Bridge

It was an uneventful night under the bridge for the most part.  Joshua cooked a rather large pot of spaghetti.  I heard so many complements about it that I had to ask him how he cooked it.  He said the secret was to cook up 5 pounds of low grade ground beef and pour the whole thing in the pot, with the fat unstrained.  I tasted it and it was good.  It slide so smoothly down my throat.

I continue to practice "looking for Zacheus" when I am down there - looking for that one person that is in need and ready for a reason to do something different.  At the end of the night, when most of the homeless had dispersed, a short, stocky black man named Tyron appoached me, put down his stuff, and said, "Will you pray with me? I need prayer."

"What do you need prayer for?  What is the problem you are having?"

"My health.  I have a problem with my kidneys.  They are going to have to take a kidney.  Both my mother and sister died from this same thing.  I am scared," he said hanging his head and reaching to place his hand on my shoulder.


He came to me and asked me to pray with him.  Quite the opportunity to practice saying words of life and light.  This sad looking man tried to walk away alone.  He made the effort to come back.  He was afraid.  He was sick.  He was alone and living on the streets.  He needed to touch someone and have someone pray words on him.  He sought him out. 

I put my hand on his shoulder and he put his on mine.  I looked at him with my eyes open.  I could see the brokeness in his demeanor.   I could see that he was afraid.  I dropped in.  With my eyes still open and looking at him, I said, "....

After we prayed, he picked up his earthly belongings and I watched him slowly walk off into the dark streets alone.