Harold

This shouldn't be such a surprise to me - but it continually is! I used to go out looking for people to minister to, and now they show up at my door - literally. The doorbell rings, we talk, we chill, we minister to each other, I get an insight into their needs and I get to pray for them!
God said he would bring people to me, and one day a girl prayed for me and called out to God to bring me the crazies, druggies, those with disabilities, etc. While I laughed at that and braced myself a little nervously, I knew inside that's really what I wanted.

So today, I met Harold. He showed up on my second porch (The MICO house), just waiting on a chair as I rolled up to do some work. Mental disability, colon cancer, no family, needed laundry done, and badly wanted a cup of coffee. While the man was hard to understand and jumped from one thing to the next, we finally got around to the plan that he'd return to men's group and I'd find a way to get him coffee and take care of his laundry that evening.

I think I might've wished that he didn't show up to men's group. I know I did. But, no way, he showed up alright and early. As I left during the start of what should've been their men's group, I wondered if maybe someone else would help him after group and they wouldn't be there when I got back. But, nope, I pull up, and he's still on the porch- alone. While things may have fallen through there, they sure didn't with our plan. But first, I had to unload TONS of wood to the house. 1st blessing (and this ALWAYS happens), was that I thought i was going to be unloading 40 2x6's into the house by myself, but no - Harold himself and another guy from around show up out of nowhere and get the job done.
Following that, my friend Daryl and I took Harold to get some detergent and to the laundromat. This was a long trip to the laundromat, but I count my blessings like crazy and smile at the cleverness of God. That trip brought a visit with a new girl in town with a heart of gold who was such an encouragement to me. It brought seeing a couple other people I don't get to talk to normally. And it brought a joy that I don't find in my busyness. I started to think that I hadn't spent any time with jesus today so i really should get back and get to praying! Let me get all spiritual on you- but honestly, I felt like God hit me with the fact that I couldn't get any more close to spending time with Jesus than by being with those like Harold, who know one wants to help. Why would I leave him to 'go spend time with Jesus' when Jesus was so there?!
So as I settled down about what time it was, and as we talked more, I realized that there is something so sweet about this man. Furthermore, though it's extremely difficult to understand him, the more time spent, the sooner one begins to see him in a new light, how God does - so endearing- just as He is to God.