"Hold On You Can Make It!

Have you ever sat across a room listening to an individual having a very personal conversation on their mobile phone, heard every word and wanted to approach them and say hey I can hear all your business you are putting in the street?  Well, I got the opportunity last night at the Shelter I manage to approach a Guest and shut it all the way down.

It was 3:30 in the morning as I sat and watched over 38 deep sleeping men, I heard this young adult male Guest complaining on his cell phone how he was awakened by one guy on one side of him snoring like a roaring walrus, and the other guy on the other side of him loud farting up a storm.  A kind quiet mature Gentleman near me said now that is truly a weak young brother over there, all I needed to hear to take action.

I approached the young man.  He looked up at me and said if you don’t get the “F_ _ __” away from me!  I responded with no sir I care too much for you to walk away.  I am going to stand here in your face until you hear what I have to say.  He said don’t you know how rude you are interrupting me?  I said I came over to give you a place where you can express yourself without disturbing the sleep of 37 other men.

As I got him to get up out of his chair to follow me he told me my Co-Manager had just ran him out of the restroom for using profanity while he talked on his phone in there.  I reminded him this was God’s house.  I gave him permission to get off his chest everything irritating him.   He told me he felt like she was talking down to him when he ask her for air freshener from the funky smells wakening him up.

He did not like her reminding him these are the inconveniences accompanying sleeping in a gym on a pad among 37 other men.  I responded with you misinterpreted what she was really saying to you.  She was implying use your frustration as energy to change your present residence.

He began to get emotional as he told me I know I am homeless.   I don’t need to be reminded of my current residence.  I am tired of being homeless.  I am tired of sleeping on a pad.  I am tired of being woke up by loud snoring and farts.  As I gave him all my attention he began to tell me what was really hurting him.

He is a young veteran in his very early twenties with two young children he told me.  Their Mom he believed currently incarcerated.  A combination of dealing with all his bad military memories and the fear he could lose his children and never see them again.  He told me how much he loved them and how much he wanted to be a good dad to them.  I allowed him get it all out until he finally exhaled.

I ask him if I could respond to his fears.  The look he gave me was priceless. 

I said your life today does not have to be about your bad memories, the bad comments people say about or to you.  You say you love your children?  What about loving you?  What are you saying to you?  Again, another priceless expression.  I asked if I could give him an example.  He nodded approval.  Have you ever flown on a plane?  He nodded yes?  Do you remember the part about placing the oxygen on your face first before placing it on your children?  Another priceless look.

Let me tell you what I see standing in front of me.  I see a young man full of gifts, talents, and skills yet to be discovered.  I see a young man with great potential to be a huge gift to this world.  Want to discover them?  Now, I knew I drew in his full attention.  Start with loving on you.  We are standing in front of a mirror.  It takes courage to look in this mirror and say I love me some me.  Can you do this?  He commented how can I love me in this current state I am?

I said you love your children.  The same love you have for them you can love on you.  Repeat after me I love some me.  I am an amazing gift to this world.  He couldn’t open his mouth to repeat those words.  I stopped and said may I pray for you?  He nodded yes.

God, I bring this young man this amazing gift you created to the world and place him in the very center of your palms.  Visit with him, speak to him, fill him with your Spirit, show him his destiny, and put him on the path you would have him to go.  He interrupted me asking me what religion are you?  I said it does not matter.  How so, he inquired.  I am just a man standing in front of a man asking God to visit you where you need him the most.

Just like you have poured your heart out with me, you can do the same with God.  He loves you even more than I love you.  Even more than you are capable of loving your children.  I don’t want to overwhelm you so I will stop now and allow you to find the peace you seek.

As I walked away from him The Holy Spirit touched me to let me know I allowed Him to use me in the right place at the right moment with the right words he needed me to say.  Now, I must tell you if you ever had The Holy Spirit to touch you, the touch can bring you to your knees.  I said Holy Spirit you know I still got too much to do here and must hold it together.  The young man did calm himself and appeared to have a remainder of a peaceful morning.

As I began to focus on my other shelter duties my mind began to reflect on how in ministering to him I was also ministering to Dale.  I have invested now 32 years in serving Clients with my whole heart, and yet I still struggle with dry seasons that can occur in real estate.  I call it “My Clients Are On Vacation seasons” when I am investing time and energy in prospecting and marketing and the phone is not ringing at the rate I feel it should be after all these years.  It is also a season to be very thankful for how I have been blessed, even when I don’t feel like being thankful.

I have those moments when I think what I am I doing wrong?  Why don’t people like me?  Who have I insulted to the level my phone is not ringing like I want it to be ringing?  The funny part of this process is all this week I have been hearing lyrics to a song in my inner near, hearing “hold on your change is coming hold on you can make it hold on don’t you worry about a thing hold on it will be alright!” 

I allow a five minute pity party.  Pick myself up.  Dust myself off and start feeding Dale positive energy.  Prior to ministering to that young man, I had been feeling pretty down about myself.  Ignoring all the hundreds and hundreds of Clients I have successfully served, I was feeling pretty worthless.

The sowing of positive loving words to that young man almost immediately returned to me.  Suddenly I felt very valuable again.  I found the strength to remind myself I am an amazing gift to this world.  I possess the ability to address a need and supply it with positive loving right action.  This is so vital in the midst of test and trials of life to love on some us, especially in those seasons when we can appear like everything is fine, and we really feel like we are everything but fine.

Now, you take a moment to love on some you.  Repeat after me.  I am an amazing gift to this world in my ability to lovingly problem solve with great tender care.  Because I possess this gift, God is positioning me to do lots of problem solving, equipping me to be in the right place at the right time with the right action to make both me and the people I serve very profitable!

If you have read to the end know I love me some you.  The prayer I prayed for that young man I pray for you!