The Pursuit of Happyness
09/14/07 08:25 AM
One week ago today the buzzer rang at the church. I
went to the door and found a tall skinny young man
- Rob. He was visibly distraught. He simply asked
if he could talk. I invited him in and asked him
where he was from. He broke down. Over the next
hour through many tears, he told me his story. He
had never really been to church before. He could
only remember going to church on occasion with his
grandmother. But he remembered her being able to
talk to her Pastor. So, he looked up a church in
the phone book, we were close to the Motel 6 where
he was staying and he walked to our door. We were
his last hope. He is originally from Rock Hill, SC.
After high school, he went to USC. His dad was an
alcoholic. While in school, his mom and dad were on
vacation. His dad was drinking and driving and
drove into an oncoming truck. Both of his parents
died. He was an only child - no brothers and
sisters. He finished school and worked as a cook or
chef in restaurants in Columbia. Cooking is his
passion. He wants to be a chef in his own
restaurant one day.
He met a young girl online. He sold his truck, quit his job, cancelled his lease, and moved to Utah. He believed this was the girl of his dreams. After a few months they decided to head to SC and set up in Charleston - lots of restaurants, beaches, etc. When they got to Greenville, he was getting ready, she was going to check email. When he came out of the shower, she was gone. He had been robbed. She took all of his money and possessions. All he had was a small back pack and a few clothes. He filed a police report in Greenville, but there's not much that could be done. He did have his ticket to Charleston so he finished the trek.
What little money he had was quickly gone. He tried to find a job at some local restaurants, but he didn't have chef clothes. He called about staying in a couple of our shelters, but he couldn't make the curfew working the late shift at a restaurant. He had no family. No job. No shelter. No friends. No money. Actually he had 75 cents left and had to make a decision about washing clothes or a taco at Taco Bell.
That's when he showed up at Coastal. Now I have to admit that over the years it's pretty easy to get jaded about helping people. We literally get about 10 phone calls a week from people wanting us to pay their bills. They're simply trolling through churches in the phone book. One thing I've learned is that there is a difference between wanting a hand out and those simply needing a helping hand. It takes love, compassion, and a lot of discernment to distinguish the difference.
Rob was embarrassed and ashamed. He was at his lowest point. He wondered if this was simply some sort of divine retribution for years of living far away from God. I told him that God loved him. God had a plan for his life. I told him that although God didn't cause these bad things to happen to him, God does have this amazing ability to use our circumstances to draw us to Himself. Many times people don't reach out to God when they "see the light," it's when they "feel the heat" they turn to Him. Rob was definitely feeling the heat. I also told him that God's love for him was big enough to handle his doubt, anger, and hurt. We talked about Jesus and what being a follower of His was all about. But although that was his greatest need, he had a few pressing needs that needed immediate attention.
My wife Janet and Jeremiah were also at the church. We put our heads together and decided to put Rob up in a weekly hotel down the road from the church. It would give us some time to make a few phone calls, get to know Rob a little better, and see what God could do. We got him some food, a bike (I obviously don't ride mine very often), a Bible, and a copy of the Purpose Driven Life. Saturday he came over to the church and helped out a bit. Sunday he came to church and met the family at Coastal. He said everyone was very friendly. He was glad the dress was casual. It wasn't what he was expecting. Most importantly, he gave his life to Jesus Christ over the weekend.
I made a phone call and Chef Fred Neuville gave him an interview at "The Fat Hen." (See previous post.) Bill Jamerson at our church offered a room in his apartment. I took Rob out to Bill's and Rob thanked him profusely. Bill simply said, "The church has helped me out." Courtney and Mark picked up Rob and took him to their Small Group at Jeremiah and Cyndi's. It also was not what he expected. He met Justin and Sarah at the Small Group. Justin called last night and would like to help Rob out with transportation. Bill lives in North Charleston. The Fat Hen is on John's Island. The public transportation in Charleston sucks. It can be done, and Rob was doing it, but it would be very difficult to say the least. Justin simply said, "The church has helped us out so much."
Well, this is really just the beginning of Rob's story. Where it leads, I have no idea. The Christian life truly is a "Wild Ride." Sometimes a walk across a room is as simple as answering the door. I am so thankful for Coastal, for our Small Groups, and for the fact that Jesus is using Coastal to "share and experience LIFE!"
He met a young girl online. He sold his truck, quit his job, cancelled his lease, and moved to Utah. He believed this was the girl of his dreams. After a few months they decided to head to SC and set up in Charleston - lots of restaurants, beaches, etc. When they got to Greenville, he was getting ready, she was going to check email. When he came out of the shower, she was gone. He had been robbed. She took all of his money and possessions. All he had was a small back pack and a few clothes. He filed a police report in Greenville, but there's not much that could be done. He did have his ticket to Charleston so he finished the trek.
What little money he had was quickly gone. He tried to find a job at some local restaurants, but he didn't have chef clothes. He called about staying in a couple of our shelters, but he couldn't make the curfew working the late shift at a restaurant. He had no family. No job. No shelter. No friends. No money. Actually he had 75 cents left and had to make a decision about washing clothes or a taco at Taco Bell.
That's when he showed up at Coastal. Now I have to admit that over the years it's pretty easy to get jaded about helping people. We literally get about 10 phone calls a week from people wanting us to pay their bills. They're simply trolling through churches in the phone book. One thing I've learned is that there is a difference between wanting a hand out and those simply needing a helping hand. It takes love, compassion, and a lot of discernment to distinguish the difference.
Rob was embarrassed and ashamed. He was at his lowest point. He wondered if this was simply some sort of divine retribution for years of living far away from God. I told him that God loved him. God had a plan for his life. I told him that although God didn't cause these bad things to happen to him, God does have this amazing ability to use our circumstances to draw us to Himself. Many times people don't reach out to God when they "see the light," it's when they "feel the heat" they turn to Him. Rob was definitely feeling the heat. I also told him that God's love for him was big enough to handle his doubt, anger, and hurt. We talked about Jesus and what being a follower of His was all about. But although that was his greatest need, he had a few pressing needs that needed immediate attention.
My wife Janet and Jeremiah were also at the church. We put our heads together and decided to put Rob up in a weekly hotel down the road from the church. It would give us some time to make a few phone calls, get to know Rob a little better, and see what God could do. We got him some food, a bike (I obviously don't ride mine very often), a Bible, and a copy of the Purpose Driven Life. Saturday he came over to the church and helped out a bit. Sunday he came to church and met the family at Coastal. He said everyone was very friendly. He was glad the dress was casual. It wasn't what he was expecting. Most importantly, he gave his life to Jesus Christ over the weekend.
I made a phone call and Chef Fred Neuville gave him an interview at "The Fat Hen." (See previous post.) Bill Jamerson at our church offered a room in his apartment. I took Rob out to Bill's and Rob thanked him profusely. Bill simply said, "The church has helped me out." Courtney and Mark picked up Rob and took him to their Small Group at Jeremiah and Cyndi's. It also was not what he expected. He met Justin and Sarah at the Small Group. Justin called last night and would like to help Rob out with transportation. Bill lives in North Charleston. The Fat Hen is on John's Island. The public transportation in Charleston sucks. It can be done, and Rob was doing it, but it would be very difficult to say the least. Justin simply said, "The church has helped us out so much."
Well, this is really just the beginning of Rob's story. Where it leads, I have no idea. The Christian life truly is a "Wild Ride." Sometimes a walk across a room is as simple as answering the door. I am so thankful for Coastal, for our Small Groups, and for the fact that Jesus is using Coastal to "share and experience LIFE!"
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