William Revisited.

Thanks for the feedback on the original story. This was not hypothetical, this is the true story . . . here is how it finished.

The socks that I had on were two-day-old socks, not clean (I was coming in from a trip to Arkansas and had to unexpectedly sleep in my car to get to work on time), and the only thing holding in the smell was my shoes. . . So having said this, I could not possibly give him my socks. That would be like giving Jesus a pair of old, smelly socks.

I told him that with the money that I had given him, he could go to any store and buy a pair of socks. I then spoke to him about making responsible choices. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. How long have you been out of jail?"

"Since 1990."

"Well, it seems as if you don't believe thet you have the right to succeed, to prosper, to be blessed. God wants to bless you. . . but you need to believe this, and refuse to return to your old life. I want to pray with you, and here's what I'm going to pray for. You seem likke you could hold down a good job, would you agree?"

"Yes."

"Well, I believe that the Lord is going to put His hand over you and guide you to stability. You can decide to walk away from this prayer, back into your old life, or you can trust the prayer that we're about to pray, and believe that God is in control of your steps."

Then I prayed with William. God was remarkably present.

"I've given you food, and I've given you money to get what ever you want. You decide your own priorities. I'd give you my socks, but these socks are just as bad as the socks that you have on. Respect yourself enough to go get yourself a pair of new socks and see what God can do with your life."

I haven't heard back from William yet.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

We Need Your Voice

Ninety & Nine is actively seeking bloggers for the North American Ladies Conference in Louisville next week. Volunteers can send basic info to editor@ninetyandnine.com.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Commune-ity Blogging

Check in daily next Thursday-Saturday, because Ninety & Nine will be blogging live from General Youth Division's "The Commune-ity" (formerly the N. Amer Yoth Worker's Conference) in Kansas City. I happens next Thurs-Sat, Aug 3-5.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Death row?

Question (not hypothetical): If a death-row inmate succeeds in killing themselves, does America's justice insist that we revive them? Check out this story (Polly Klaas' killer survives opiate overdose on death row) and let me know what you think.

America has stopped making sense.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Shag Jesus, baby!

My friends either really love me, or Ireland. You be the judge.

Over the weekend, Christ Tabernacle in Herrick, Illinois, held a public auction in which they raised almost $20,000 for Terry McFarland's missionary work in Ireland.

I wasn't able to attend because I was working on wedding plans with MiMi, but my friends still thought of me.

Oh sure, up for grabs was a fifth-wheel camper, China sets, furniture, and a glass slipper that came to America on the Mayflower, . . . but the sweetest item of them all?

How about a 3-foot-wide by 2-foot-high shag-carpet plushy picture of Jesus praying in Gethsemane. (Just like the picture attached, only in 3-D plushy-shag).

Apparently, when my friends saw it, they both thought of me and immediately went into a bidding war! In the end, I was worth $55, or was it for Ireland?

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

He asked for my socks!

Take a moment to praise God for your socks. (pause for sock appreciation) . . . . We all take it for granted that a clean pair will be waiting for us every morning. If the person who cleans your socks is nearby, go give them an approving peck on the cheek.

Look at your feet right now. Are you wearing a clean pair? If not, it's probably because you chose not to. (How many times will you notice that same hole before you throw them away?) Socks are, for some strange reason, a necessity of life. Without them, we feel . . . like we shouldn't have gone without them.

ENTER WILLIAM
William was a homeless man who entered into UPCI HQ on Monday. This is a frequent occurence because people assume that because we work for "the Church," we are "the Church." I'm not sure whether the previous statement is true or condemning. . . They usually leave disappointed.

William was hard-up, proven by the fact that he had been holed up at the Mary K (next door) for the last three weeks. For those unfamiliar with this establishment, under its new ownership (no longer UPCI) it has become a virtual homeless shelter that people pay $400 a month to live in.

HIS TACTIC
William decided that he was going to do an old-fashioned sit-in, plopping himself down in the cushy chair, claiming that he wasn't moving until somebody gave him some help. He decided to go into the front bathroom to tidy up.

I guess I'm thankful that when the homeless come in, the front desk calls me. Her voice was pleasant and calm, as always. She asked, "Chris, there's a homeless gentleman in the front lobby that refuses to leave until we help him. . . . Can you help him? . . . " I repeat, she was as calm as if asking to buy a loaf of bread.

How could any Christ-transformed Christian say no? But I knew this wouldn't be easy.

For those that come into frequent contact with the homeless, their script is usually the same each and every time. It goes something like this:

1. I need a meal, I haven't eaten.

2. I need busfare then, to get anywhere but here (enter hard-luck story which varies in length).

3. I just need a couple of bucks, comon' now. I got robbed of the last few bucks I had by my no-good friend/relative (expletive).

4. I'm lookin' for a place to live (somehow they all lost their steadfast residence earlier that day).

5. Revisit numbers 1-4 in the order that they believe they have the greatest opportunity for success.

I ended up giving William $1o to grab a bus downtown, and I also gave him my loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter that I had planned on eating for lunch. I felt this was a fair outreach, without going too far.

"That's fine," William replied, but then he went off of the traditional homeless script. "One last thing, man. This is my last pair of socks and I been wearin' them for like a week now. Can I have your socks?"

Let's take a poll, reply below. If William asked you for your socks right now, how would you respond?

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!