We have a saying around the fellowship that goes like this,
“…for the one!” It is our conviction that every person that walks through our
doors is a specially invited guest of God and we’d better treat them as such.
We believe that every person is loved by our Maker and every person is worthy
of our time, care and love. Our belief is that behind every person is a
redemptive story in the works; a poem that is being written in the heavens to
ascribe meaning and purpose to all of creation. Further, we are passionate that
church isn’t something we do; rather, it should be who we are. It is our heart
that our faith can’t be reduced to a weekly event, but should flow out of a
heart warmed over by God’s love and should be evident in everything we do.
I became a Chaplain with the MBPD in November of 2009; it’s
hard to believe it’s been almost 5 years.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the times I’ve been called upon to lend a helping
hand, to provide a word of counsel, to cry with a family member when they’ve
been informed their loved one has passed. The greatest joy I receive is when
someone I’ve been called upon to help takes the necessary steps to change. When
someone embraces the advice I give and incorporates that into a lifestyle of
purpose, there’s joy beyond words.
Roughly four years ago, retired cop & good friend of
mine Richard Hannibal and I began an outreach. We determined to feed the
homeless in Morro Bay every Friday with the hopes that perhaps one, maybe two
could break the cycle of brokenness and begin a productive life saturated with
fulfillment. This weekly gesture grew into two, three nights a week and
eventually produced a Saturday morning fed at our church that serves over 200
every week.
Well, there was one young lady that caught our eye on those
Friday’s; you might say Richard and I had a soft spot in our heart for her. She
was polite, kind and caring. To see her week after week in a state of
brokenness truly hurt our heart. For the life of Richard and I, we had great
consternation on the why she stayed in her relationship. She was beaten, bruised, treated as dirt and
considered an object by her “friend.” Every Friday for over three years, this
young lady was high on crystal meth, alcohol or some mood altering substance.
At first glance, one would deduct she was hopeless. However, week after week,
we would hug her, tell her she had value and treat her as a worthy recipient of
grace. We often drove off in Richard’s squad car on Friday’s shaking our head
in dismay.
Well, as life has a way of moving forward, with Richard’s
retirement and my increasing responsibilities, we lost contact with this
hurting soul. In all of our efforts,
we’ve often discussed if we could have helped one, it would have been worth the
effort and cause. Well… I’m blessed to
write that this young lady, who will remain nameless, said hi to me the other
day in the store. In fact, she was in her right mind, totally sober and has
been clean for over a year. A feeling of “wow” gripped my spirit and emotions
of “right on” began to flood my heart. She went on to explain to me that she
had left that unhealthy relationship and lifestyle that was literally killing
her and she was now pursuing a life of meaning.
“…for the one” continues to be a driving force of my life
and the life of the church I serve. You just never know the life you’ll touch,
the soul you’ll impact or the future you’ll alter. I think it’s a good thing to
look at others as invited guests of our Maker and maybe you, that’s right you,
may be the one to help that individual become the person they are suppose to
become because you’ve embraced a lifestyle of “…for the one!”
