2038
I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS- [Jesus
to his disciples] My last North Bergen post- for 2013.
The chapter for the week is Luke
15.
As I write today- this will be my
last North Bergen post- till next year.
I have a few things I need to
squeeze in to this one- so bear with me.
The other day- as I was debating
on going back up the block- to White Castle [I go at different times- never to
eat- but times I know some of the street guys will be there].
I decided to go- at an unusual
time.
As I sat there- a few of the
street guys were there- and we were getting into our little social club mood.
The street guys know some of the
senior citizen crowd- who also hang out there.
Retired guys- yes- some of them
are drinkers- but guys who have achieved a degree of success- and they feel
like they deserve to just spend the day hanging out- fine with me.
But today- there were 3 older
guys talking about religion and the bible.
Now- I have made it a habit to
‘shut up’ when these things happen.
Every so often I’ll hear somebody
talking to someone else about God- and even if I think he might be getting some
stuff wrong- I avoid the urge to butt in and ‘correct’ stuff like that.
Get it?
But this time I had to at least
‘correct the record’.
These guys were discussing stuff-
one guy says ‘you know the gospels were written hundreds of years after
Christ’.
Another says ‘yeah- they did that
word of mouth thing- what’s it called’?
So- at this point I did a few
second ‘correction’.
‘It’s called Oral Tradition- and
most scholars believe the gospels were written about 15- 20 years after Christ’
[this is true by the way- the early Christians did pass things by word of
mouth- and some of the disciples realized they needed to write this down for
future generations. If you read Acts chapter 1- the writer- Luke- says this-
that he decided to also write an account of Christ for future generations].
So- after I spoke up- one of the
guys who was sitting there seemed intrigued.
He must have seen me over these
past months- with these street guys- and has happened in Texas- I often get
seen as a street guy myself.
So Tony comes to sit with me- he
asks me about why I’m here- why I have been on the streets and stuff.
I told him its ministry.
As we talked- I realized the
church he attends- A messianic congregation in Lodi- I used to have contact
with his Pastor because we both broadcast on the same radio station in Texas.
Tony explained to me that he was
a Born Again Christian- and he feels part of his calling in life has been at certain
times [he emphasized the Timing aspect] God will use him to communicate a
Word/Message from God to another person.
I am very familiar with this
gift- I have actually done this- taught this- and have seen it operate many times
in my life.
So- as Tony learned my
background- the ministry and all- he felt honored because he knew that this day
God had sent him to me- that he usually knows who the ‘target’ is- and he knew
this was one of the times.
But- he has never done this with
someone at ‘my level’ [note- Tony was very respectful- and he simply saw me at
a ‘higher level’ sort of like a scholar- because of the simple correction I
gave earlier to the group- and then when he asked me about the ministry].
So- as we talked- for about an
hour or so- he felt like God was telling me that this street work- the outreach
to these guys- was without a doubt Gods true purpose.
Tony was envious in a way- he
always wanted to do this- and he kept telling me that not many people have this
calling [he sees me with the street guys- and he realizes that I did infiltrate
this area- he himself probably thought I too was ‘on the streets’.]
Tony also said he felt God was
telling me to lay down my years of studying- my books and stuff- and to focus
on the outreach part of ministry- he could not emphasize enough how this thing-
me on the streets- that this is the most valuable thing- that nothing compares
to this.
I Told Tony when I left Texas 3 months
ago- I gave my library of books away- for good.
I was able to instruct Tony-
about what was happening between us- because he has had this gift [which you
can call Prophecy- or a Word of Knowledge/Wisdom- these gifts are mentioned in
the book of Corinthians] and I am very familiar with these types of gifts.
I also know when God sends
someone.
The morning of my chance meeting
with Tony- as I was reading Luke 16- I came across a verse that reminded me of
an old friend- Randy.
He came so strongly to mind- that
I prayed for him- and knew that something about Randy was important for this
day.
Tony- looked- sounded- had the
same exact demeanor of Randy- who I haven’t seen in 25 years.
Randy even used to tell me he
envied my calling- going out to the streets and all- and that he wished he too
had a sort of outgoing way of doing stuff.
So- Tony was ‘Randy’ this day.
In a nutshell- God sent Tony to
give me this Word- this message- and I had already come to see the things Tony
was saying.
Even about picking up the street
ministry when I get back to Texas.
I wrote in a previous post about
‘taking back your Isaac’.
Out of all the things I laid down
this year- the hardest was leaving the street ministry in Texas.
But these past few weeks I felt
the Lord saying I will ‘pick’ that up again.
So Tony spoke Gods word to me
this day- on my last week in North Bergen.
2-
When I first got to town- and met
the street guys- I would refer to them as Friends.
One day Nick took notice ‘John- I
know you see us as Friends- but these guys are not friends- they are acquaintances’.
Now- I know what he meant.
It was funny- the other day I was
with one of the guys.
He too owed 10 dollars for a
particular purchase he made [I say too- because the other guy- in the group of
3- also owed ‘friend’ number 1].
So- the guy I was with- well I
kinda was joking a bit-
‘Geez- so and so has owed so and
so- about 13 times- since I’ve been here- and yet he always ‘let’s by gones be
by-gones’ after he pays’ [he will owe for a day or 2- then when he has the
money- he shows up and pays].
‘But’ I told my friend ‘when you
owe- once- you get cut off’.
Now- I can’t’ really give all the
details- how I know he really has only owed once [in the time I have been here]
but that’s the story.
So- I tell my buddy ‘yeah- old
‘so and so’ must be racist- he lets the other guy [who is 100% Italian] off the
hook a lot- yet you [not full Italian/white] get cut off after one time’.
He says ‘yeah- I’m gonna sue that
son of a bitch’.
Now- we are both laughing here-
and I know it’s not funny- well actually it is- but I’m giving you the ‘feel’
of the moment.
So- whenever one guy [usually
just one] owes another money- he avoids him.
It’s routine now.
And the way I know is I’ll ask-
‘Was he at White Castle this morning’?
And the other guy says ‘no- he
must owe so and so some money’.
That’s the scoop.
So- I’m with one of the guys-
sitting on the bus bench off Bergenline Ave.
Across the street is another guy-
who won’t talk to ‘us’ today [why me? Because I’m with the guy who owes-
funny!]
As we are sitting there- the 3rd
guy- who owes to the guy I’m with.
We see him ‘rolling’ down the street-
‘There he is- that son of a ..’
As the 3rd guy sees
us- as we are sitting across from the other guy [standing at Quick check].
He too makes a hard left turn [in
the middle of the road] and crosses the street [he owes the guy I’m with].
Then the guy I’m sitting with
waits to see if he’s going to talk to the other guy- nope.
He owes him too- so all 3 of ‘the
crew’ are avoiding each other- on my last week in North Bergen!
So I tell my friend ‘geez- I’m
depressed- It’s like I’m leaving in the middle of a family feud’.
He was laughing his … off.
Now- Friends.
Over time- Nick started referring
to me as his Friend.
One day something funny happened.
Rick asked if I could help him
with an errand.
So I notice Nick didn’t text me
in a day or so [the guys call- text- a lot- but I’m bad with that. I usually don’t
answer the phone- or look at texts- so that’s not just here- but some of my
buddies in Texas say the same thing ‘you never return my calls/texts!’]
I see Nick a day or 2 later.
He tells me ‘I saw Rick- he was bragging
about how you were gonna help him- give him a ride- So he thinks he’s a big
shot because you’re his friend…’
‘I told him- look- John chooses
his friends- It’s not because you’re some great guy-..’
Now- I realized Nick- in a way-
was ‘jealous’ of the fact that I was trying to help Rick.
You think ‘John- these are grown
men’.
Yes- but this is not the first
time these types of things have happened.
Lots of the guys on the streets
have grown up in very dysfunctional homes- and 2 of the guys on this trip have spoken
about deep resentments toward their Fathers.
So- even though these guys are my
age- late 40’s- 50’s- yet these feelings of rejection- or wanting attention-
are results of their dads having had bad relationships with their kids.
So- after time- we all starting
seeing one another as friends.
Someone said yesterday- someone
that’s not in the group- ‘gee John- you think these guys would take you out to
eat before you leave’.
They have been asking me his for the
last 3 weeks.
Even the other night Nick bought
some Pizza for us at Angelo’s.
So yeah- after 3 months- it’s not
a game- we are friends.
Okay- as I finish my ‘task’-
When I first got to town I was
not sure how things would go.
I was trying to ‘hear’ God about
what type/style of ministry I should do.
I used to actually ‘preach’ [you
know- like a preacher].
But honestly- I’d rather be ‘on
the streets’.
But- I printed up about 8 little
bible studies- and they are in the format of a Christian based AA meeting.
I thought I might start meetings
like that.
But as the weeks rolled by- I saw
that was not the way to go.
But- I had these bible studies
printed- and decided to give one to each of the guys- and write a personal letter
to each of my new Friends.
I will hand them out- like little
scrolls [I will post a picture] to the guys the day before I leave.
I attached a gold coin to each
letter as a going away gift [the coin thing is a story in itself- if I remember
I will mention it another time].
Now- I’m open- and blunt in these
notes.
I basically tried to ‘custom fit’
each note for their own situation.
I talked about the danger of drug
dealing- how if you keep doing it- you’re gonna get busted.
I talked about how someone with
lots of talent is throwing it all away because he’s an addict- and needs to
make an effort to change.
I talked about Alcoholism- and
how it is ruining someone’s life.
I was blunt- talked as a friend-
and made no bones about it- all 3 of you guys need to make a change- before
time runs out.
3-
Last night [Thursday- 9-27-13] I
spent a little extra time hanging out with Nick- sitting on a bus bench off
Bergenline ave.
I was ready to take off- Nick was
in one of those ‘states’ where he talks.
Ok- but sometimes when the guys
are going on- if I see it’s a result of how they spent their day- then I listen
for a while- and take off.
But last night I figured I’ll stay
a little longer- times running short.
Nick- a musician- is one of those
guys who ‘speaks’ words [prophecy] without realizing it.
I have had this happen many times
over the years with street friends- often musical guys [guitars on the streets]
and they don’t realize what they are doing- by ‘accidentally’ speaking these
Words of Wisdom.
So- the last few weeks the guys
have been saying ‘wow John- what a f.. experience this must have been for you-
meeting this crew’.
Now- to me this is not new- or a
first.
This has been my life- I have
done this for around 30 years now.
But to them- these guys in their
50’s [late 40’s- early 60’s] - yeah- this whole experience was new.
And now- after 3 months- yeah- at
this late stage in life- we became Friends- just like when you were a kid.
So- last night Nick does another
one of those ‘slip up’s’.
He’s wanting to say something
about the past few months- and he says ‘what a Fu.. Carnival this must have
been for you John’.
Now- he corrects himself [this is
often how I know what they are saying is a word from God] and says ‘no- not
Carnival- why am I using that word’.
And he goes on.
See?
I often associate signs/images
with things.
God often speaks to me thru these
things- not in a weird way- let me explain.
One of the things I felt would be
a sign this year was a Carnival.
The last 3 months I have been doing
ministry- in the streets of North Bergen- where as a kid we used to go to the
Carnival- in Hudson County Park.
Before I left Texas I kept saying
‘geez- I think I’m gonna see a Carnival before I go’.
I had this thing in my head- a connection
with a Carnival- and this year.
Now- I have been making a journal
for this year- I am not the type that does diaries- or journals.
But- this year- I felt the Lord
telling me to do one.
Many years ago I used to post an
ad [for the web site] in the Jersey Journal.
I ran that ad for a few years-
and finally dropped it.
But- I cut out one of the actual
pictures- a photo- of the Jersey Journal building- and the view of the Hudson
River- across from the NYC skyline.
This is an actual photo of the
area.
So- I have had this photo for
about 7 years or so- and this year I pulled it off my office wall in Texas [thinking
I was never ‘goin back again’] and stuck it in this journal.
A few weeks ago- as I was
reviewing the journal- I saw something for the first time in this photo.
Right there- whenever this photo
was taken [25 years ago?] there was a small Ferris Wheel- you could see it-
there must have been some Carnival going on the day they took the photo.
As I saw it the other day- I felt
like God was saying ‘there- see it- this was your Carnival.’
THIS being my last 3 months here-
reaching out to the street crew.
So- once again- when Nick said
‘John- this must have been some fuc.. Carnival’ I knew what he meant.
GOLD COINS?
When I first got back to town- my
dad gave me a gift- a collection of gold coins that he was saving for me- I
guess he figured he would leave them to me in his will.
But- he decided to give them to
me now.
Their nice- not 100% gold- but worth
some money.
I have been carrying one- a 20
dollar replica- with me as I walk.
I showed it to the crew a few
months ago- and Billy really liked it.
‘John- that’s worth some money’.
I told him I gave one to a
friend- Patrick- and Billy asked ‘why? Why would you give stuff away’?
But- after a few weeks- when the
guys heard I was leaving- they started saying ‘man John- now I kinda wished you
hung around a little longer- we need to all go out to eat before you take off’.
Now- these guys are funny at
times- and all 3 [the main crew] have fought over stuff since I have been here.
So one day Billy asks ‘John-
before you leave- can you give me a gold coin’.
You might think ‘how dare he
ask!’
To be honest it didn’t bother me.
I told him I only have 3 of the
big coins left [the one I showed him].
But ‘I’ll see what I can do’.
So- this week I have been writing
those personal letters to each one of these guys- and I stuck the gold coin- a
smaller one- on each letter [see the picture- if I remember to post it!]
Nick- and Rick have opened up
some during my time here- but Billy- well he’s what we call a true road
warrior.
At first I thought he was homeless-
then maybe not- just a show- but I needed to correct that post- because I now
know he sure enough is homeless.
I can’t give any more details-
but I wanted to correct that part.
Billy is 61- he’s been on the
streets for a while- and he’s not the emotional type [like Rick- who has cried
a few times when we were talking about life- and God].
But Billy boy- Nah.
It was funny- the other day I
went to White Castle to see the guys- Nick says ‘they had Billy laid out on 3
cop cars in the parking lot last night’.
The first thing I thought was ‘o
no- I better stop blogging about this journey- maybe too much is out’!
Yeah- I’m trying to be careful
with stuff- but this is part of what I’m doing- journaling as much as I can-
even right on the edge.
So- I ask Nick ‘what happened’?
I thought for sure it might have
been bad.
Nick tells me they gave Billy a
250 fine- for pissing in the park.
That’s it?
We laughed- hard.
So- Billy asks me yesterday
‘John- I guess I have known you for about a month now’ [actually 3- but Billy
has a bad memory- as those of you who have been reading my posts know by now].
But he goes on ‘let me ask you a
question- what do you think of me- as a person’.
Now- that’s a tough one.
I love these street guys- they
are my purpose [here- Texas- everywhere].
I told Billy ‘Billy- this week I
am going to give you and the guys a gift [coin he wanted] and when I do- with
each gift is a letter- and in that letter it gives you what I feel I need to
say- read it’.
I was surprised Billy asked- and
I’m kind in my letters- but very honest as well.
I didn’t hit much on the chapter
for the week- Luke 15.
But Jesus talks about a missing
coin- a missing sheep.
He says when a piece is missing from
the ‘collection’- you do all you can to recover the missing one.
You even leave the other pieces
by themselves for a while- when you go on the journey to recover the missing
piece.
After you find it- you GO HOME-
and call all your friends and neighbors- you throw this huge party- and
rejoice- because you finally found the missing part of the puzzle.
In these last 3 months- I think-in
a way- I have found the missing coin- the son who has been missing for years.
Not one of the crew- so to speak.
But all of them- even though it’s
a small group.
In the chapter- when you find the
missing piece- you tell your friends- you rejoice.
See?
Part of the value of recovering
the missing piece is- you TELL THE STORY.
For what purpose?
You model it- you show the way ‘this’
works- you encourage others- do this too!
For many years I have had
experiences like this- I see/experience God when I’m with the down and out.
I never told these stories- till
the last few years- since I started the Blog.
But that’s part of this journey-
to show how to go out- take some risks- and recover the missing piece.
As I wrap up this 3 month tour- I
say good bye to all my new North Bergen friends.
I have been trying to say bye to
those I can- and if I missed you- please don’t take offence- I say bye now.
I love you all.
I’ll see you guys again next
year.
God bless.
TIME FOR YOU TO GO OUT TO THE
PLACES YOU WILL BE FROM- EVERY NEW BEGINNING STARTS WITH ANOTHER BEGININGS
END- Closing Time- Semisonic.
Note- Do me a favor, those who
read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read
them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [FaceBoook]
- I have posted lots.
No comments:
Post a Comment