day 29, lent 2009

greetings!

tonight is part two of this thought [so please read day day 28 first]...

luke 13.20-21: "again he asked, 'what shall i compare the KINGDOM OF GOD to? it is like yeast that a women took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough'..."

the KINGDOM OF GOD is both NOW and THEN...

a little seed...

a little yeast...

a little kindness...

a little compassion...

a little love...

little things can make a big difference...

i was shocked the first time i visited mr williams...

it was almost like i "crawled" into his little hovel -- maybe 8 feet wide and 10 feet deep -- yes, that's all there was -- and clutter everywhere...

one room -- everything he owned in this world...

he lived on 30th street in a rough part of the 'hood -- yes, there were bars on the windows and more bars across the entrance to his door...

i took a seat on his single bed next to him to chat...

"sometime this little ole room feels like a prison -- these here walls just closes in on me -- i've been stayin' here over thirteen years..."

we talked for about an hour that first day...

he was so thankful for his old church and their care for him...

"you know, they brings me one meal everyday -- monday through friday!"

he proudly showed me the take-out plate he had received that friday morning a little after lunch -- "the food was really good today..."

i don't always listen well, so i thought i might have missed something -- my question just kinda popped out: "so mr williams, what do you eat on the weekends?"

he paused and replied: "i just waits for monday to come back around..."

i am not sure i could survive [and be grateful] for one meal a day -- i know i would plunge into utter darkness if i had to skip eating on the weekends...

i followed up: "so what would you like to eat over the weekend mr williams?"

he simply said: "i really just likes food chaplain guy!"

that was about six weeks ago...

every week [but one] since that friday, the holy spirit has reminded me of mr williams over the weekend while i was eating -- i have been blessed with the opportunity to deliver meals to him on sundays...

one week it was a massive plate lunch from a redneck family reunion in plant city...

another week it was homemade lima beans with smoked sausage...

another week it was a take-out burger from rockin-sports in ybor...

you get the idea...

this past week glenn went with me to make the delivery...

we brought two hot grilled cheese sandwiches and some of nancy's homemade brunswick stew [no i didn't eat any on the over, but i did munch down before i left the house -- ha! ha!]...

it was the first day i really felt like mr williams was waiting for us -- you would not have believed the smile...

he did not need to say that he was happy to see us -- he didn't need to say thank you -- that smile said it all!

he melted both glenn and me...

without a doubt, it was my most joyful moment of the week...

we got so much more out of this delivery than mr williams did -- not even close...

i felt the pleasure of Jesus as we served the food...

in my opinion, this is the stuff Jesus would be doing "in the flesh" in tampa...

for just a moment -- glenn and i were privileged to live out matthew 25 -- we "saw" the face of Jesus when we locked eyes with mr williams...

such a little thing...

a little seed of compassion and care...

a little yeast of kindness and concern...

a little act of love...

a little taste of the joy of the emerging kingdom...

a little bit of heaven on earth...

or, as mother teresa would say: "a small act done with great love that will change the world..."

maybe this is what the KINGDOM OF GOD is really like...

shalom...

guy

sweet dreams...