"Grandma, is that wonderful smell our dinner?" I asked. I had driven over to spend time with my grandmother that Saturday evening in 2012.
"It is, but not just ours." she told me. "I don't know if I told you, but my church started a program where we feed the homeless and try to help them find jobs and get back on their feet. It's my turn to bring the dinner to the church for them. It'll be a great time. . We play games with them and just really help them have a good time."
This sounded great to me. So, we went down to my grandma's church.
This sounded great to me. So, we went down to my grandma's church.
The people we met seemed very sweet, genuinely grateful to have the church's help. Several told me about their attempts at finding jobs. I could see the hope and joy in their eyes, and I knew the church had played a part in giving them that.
All was going well when the door opened again and in strode someone else.
"Sorry I'm late!" a boisterous voice called out a moment before a tall young man came into the room.
No one paid him too much attention. They clearly knew him and were used to him. I was about to discover what that meant!
"Hi!" he jogged up to where I was talking with some other people. "Wanna hear the ocean in this seashell?" he asked.
"Hi!" he jogged up to where I was talking with some other people. "Wanna hear the ocean in this seashell?" he asked.
Before I could reply, he put said seashell by my ear. Of course, he was never quiet enough to let me hear the ocean.
"Isn't that amazing? I couldn't help but ride my bike down to the beach today! I spent all day collecting shells."
"Even though you were supposed to be looking for work?" One of the women asked, slightly annoyed.
"Even though you were supposed to be looking for work?" One of the women asked, slightly annoyed.
"Oh, I'll do it Monday," He waved her off. "But these shells! Can you believe how lucky I was to find them? When I save up thousands of dollars, I'll mail them back to my mom in Michigan so she can enjoy them!"
I was confused now. "Thousands of dollars? It doesn't cost much to send a package. You could mail the shells to her for less than ten dollars."
"But I don't want them to break in the mail, so I need to get bubble wrap. So I really do need thousands of dollars!"
Was this guy for real?
Was this guy for real?
About then, he noticed I was playing a scrabble-type game on the ipad with the people at my table. My grandma had brought it along, as well as card games (which she was playing at another table with more people). This odd guy grabbed the ipad out of my hands. "Let's play Angry Birds!"
No one else wanted to, but he didn't listen to them. He turned off our game and started playing Angry Birds, laughing the whole time. The others at the table rolled their eyes.
No one else wanted to, but he didn't listen to them. He turned off our game and started playing Angry Birds, laughing the whole time. The others at the table rolled their eyes.
"Hey, wanna see something really great?" He asked. He got out of Angry Birds and turned to YouTube. "These are my movies. They're really funny!"
He played them, laughing hysterically. He laughed alone. The videos were all the same. They were movies of him running into trees and falling down backwards. "Isn't that funny!" He laughed.
He played them, laughing hysterically. He laughed alone. The videos were all the same. They were movies of him running into trees and falling down backwards. "Isn't that funny!" He laughed.
We all wanted to play our game again.
"I'm trying to get famous with these movies. I think maybe I'll be on TV one day! I'm going to take California by storm! Listen to my song!"
He pulled a micro cassette player out of his pocket and pushed play. A crudely recorded song began to play. It was his voice, singing about beating people up! It was a troubling and violent song. "Isn't that great! I'm taking California by storm!"
"How are you doing that?" I tried to sound polite. "Are you pursuing a record deal?"
"How are you doing that?" I tried to sound polite. "Are you pursuing a record deal?"
He looked at me as if I'd said something very stupid. "That's too hard. I do it the easy way. I walk up and down the street playing the tape and people can hear it. One of these days, an agent will hear me and beg to take me on as a client!"
Was he for real?
Fortunately, we were able to get our scrabble game up and going again. I was happy to see how God was at work in these people's lives. I was thankful to be a part of brightening their evening.
As Grandma and I left, she said it best of all. "I think we really took the church by storm!" The evening ended in amused laughter and prayers for our friends to get back on their feet.
