Thursday, January 25, 2007

Do you believe that there is a God? I have always believed without a single doubt but you know that there are some people that don't believe. Last night was a perfect example of God's presence in my life.
I called Bernie yesterday and ask him if he was going to church because I wanted to ride with him. At that time he said that he wasn't sure but he eventually called back and then picked me up to go. On the way to church we stopped and picked up a friend of Bernie's who is suffering from drug addiction. He is trying desperately to get into a rehab facility but until then he is staying in a run down hotel. We picked him up and off to church we went. We ate dinner really quick and then went into Bible study. It was really great. At the end of the service Bernie stood up and asked for the church to pray for his friend. The Preacher said a prayer for him right then with several men laying their hands in him. It was so moving. God was there for sure!
While we were eating dinner I noticd that Bernie's friend kept getting up and piling more food on his plate. I asked him if he had any food where he was staying. He said no but he was going to eat enough at church to hold him over. It just broke my heart into pieces. But you know what, he said it with a smile knowing that God was going to provide food for him somehow. This guy is a Christian but the devil had gotten a hold on him and dragged him down. He is fighting his way back and doing it with a smile on his face. Needless to say, Bernie and I made sure that he had food by the time that we took him back to his room.
We helped him carrying his things up to his room when we dropped him off. You just can't imagine the filthy place that he is staying at. The ceiling looked like it was going to fall in on us, it smelled so bad and a roach crawled across the bed while we were there. But this was the place the God had allowed him to stay and he was so thankful for it because his other option was the street. Before Bernie and I left his room, we stood in a circle, held hands and Bernie prayed the most amazing prayer that I have ever heard. We closed our eyes and held tight to each other and I realized that it didn't matter what condition the room was in, God is everywhere. He is real and He was in that run down hotel.

3 comments:

Sandy said...

He is one lucky person to have such wonderful people like you and Bernie to be there for him. True friends are gifts from God. You and Bernie are truly amazing people. I'm glad that he has genuine people that actually care that he can turn to in his time of need. I love you guys!

Amy Ploss said...

That was a pretty amazing story!

Laura said...

This story gave me goosebumps. So many times we tend to ignore or give up on people who have taken the wrong road in life. Often we don't have the time or the patience to help people who need our help more than anyone. This has inspired me to not be so closed minded. I have an aunt who has suffered from addiction her entire life and just recently she sent my mother a letter telling her she has been saved. It is truly a miracle!