There is a homeless man who comes to a clinic I volunteer at. This man is my age, and he is dying.
On July 29, 2011, the husband of one of my dearest girlfriends, came into the clinic. He is not an employee of the clinic or a patient at the clinic, but he is gifted, called, skilled, and trained in ministering to homeless people, people struggling with addiction, and people who are incarcerated.
He stayed at the clinic, while the homeless man was being cared for. My girlfriend's husband repeatedly said to me, "I need to find out where he wants to go." That caught my attention, because, in the midst of all that was going on, one of his main priorities was to find out where the homeless man wanted to go.
After the homeless man received care and medicine, drank a Coca-Cola, and ate some dark chocolate, my girlfriend's husband left with him and took him to get some clothes from a community center. Then, at some point, he asked the homeless man if he wanted to go and get a new tent, because the homeless man's tent had been lost in a camp fire, and he had been sleeping under an overpass.
The homeless man said he did not want to go get a tent. So, he asked him where did he want to go. The homeless man told him that he would like to go to a hotel. So, he respected the homeless man's wishes and took him to a hotel. And, not only did he take him to a hotel...he spent time listening to him, going over his medications, and speaking man-to-man with him.I learned so much from being involved, to some degree, in what transpired that day. And, I am still processing and learning from that day.
The homeless man is dying. He did not want a tent...out in 100+ degree temperatures. He never even asked for a tent. All he wanted was to go to a hotel. And, what impressed me so much is my girlfriend's husband--the man who had the concern and discernment of wanting to find out where the man wanted to go...not where he or the rest of us thought the man should go.And, upon further reflection, I cannot help but be humbled by how much God loves this man. God did not want this man, who is dying, to be in a tent. God wanted him to be in a hotel...where he was in out of the heat...where he could breathe...where he could be safe...where he may possibly pass away.
I don't know if we will have the opportunity to see this man again. But, if I don't, at least I know that he was taken to where HE wanted to go...which was a hotel...not a tent. I have learned, through this experience, sometimes...it's not about a tent!
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