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An anonymous space of grace

Posted: Sun, Jul 13, 2014
We were sitting in  service and part way through a young man came in and sat down near the front. You could see he was distraught. I just got the feeling I should talk with him. Two-thirds of the way through the service he left, I thought he was gone. After service I saw him [...]

We were sitting in  service and part way through a young man came in and sat down near the front. You could see he was distraught. I just got the feeling I should talk with him. Two-thirds of the way through the service he left, I thought he was gone.

After service I saw him standing down the hall, I walked over to him and said hello and asked how he was doing. He said hello and said “I’m not doing too well” and then he started into his story. He told me he had gotten into a fight with his boss, had been fired, kicked out of his place and had been walking the streets all night. he walked by the church, saw the sign and decided he would come in. He was just trying to figure out a way to get home, get enough money to get a bus ticket to get home. While talking he’s in tears off and on. I decided to give him the money for the bus ticket. I didn’t have enough cash in my wallet so gave him what I had and went to gather the rest of what was needed I then gave him the money to get a bus ticket and then . . .decided to offer to take him home. He graciously welcomed that offer and handed the money back to me, I asked him to keep it.

We then talked about getting lunch with friends we had planned to meet, before taking the drive. But, before doing that he asked about baptism, he had never been baptized. We weren’t sure how to make it happen but everyone here after the service and Pastor Jenny made it possible and he was baptized.

We then went to Palmer’s for lunch and had planned to leave to Medford from there but he asked if he could take a shower. So we went home, he showered, we shared a clean pair of socks with him and made our way to Medford.

He seemed genuinely like a nice kid who was on a wrong foot. We dropped him off at his ex-girlfriend’s place. He said: “No one’s ever been this nice to me before.” I think he was genuinely touched. “I’ve never found nice people like you before.”

For me, [this experience] is not about me, it’s about the opportunity [to help].

~anonymous