Later in the locker room, I was still thinking about her. As I was getting dressed, I glanced up and saw something on top of the locker. At first I thought it looked like a body on top of the locker but realized it was the girl's prosthetic leg with a shoe inside a pair of pants! I again prayed but this time prayed that God would make me more like her! Brave...pushing forward...even though she only had one leg.
After I left the locker room, I went out to get some ice. As I was waiting, I noticed a young man coming toward me. He had a pronounced limp and held his left arm close to his chest. He smiled and said hi to me. He recognized me from earlier in the week and asked me if I was a tennis player. I said that I was and asked him if he played. He said "No, I had an accident that hurt me real bad...I can't do alot of things anymore." He preceded to tell me that he was hiking with a friend on Eagle Creek Trail and fell down a ravine. He was life flighted to OHSU and ended up being in a coma for a long time. He patted the table and asked me to come and sit with him. After I sat down we introduced each other. I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere and found him to be really interesting. We talked for quite awhile about his difficulties. He seemed very sad and frustrated. After a few minutes, a guy came over to our table and began talking to him. I could tell that he was a very caring person just by the way he talked to him. Kevin introduced Dustin to me. As he was leaving, he smiled at Kevin and said "I have been praying for you and I will continue to pray for your healing".
When Dustin left, I asked Kevin if he knew Jesus. He said before his accident he used to go to church alot. He said many things in his life had changed and sometimes just being in social situations was hard on him. We talked about brain injuries and how it affects so many different things. He seemed so sad and lonely and it was hard for me not to feel that same sadness for him. I decided the only thing I could do for him was pray. I asked him if I could pray for him and would it be okay if we prayed right there in the foyer. We joined hands and I began to pray. I prayed that he could reconnect with God and that the physical therapy treatment he was taking would start working so he could move on with his life. After the prayer, he asked me a question. "What was I supposed to do while you were praying?" I said, "Just saying...yes Lord...just agreeing with me." I explained I was praying to God for him. He smiled and thanked me. He said "That's what I was doing but I didn't know if I was supposed to. I need the things you prayed for." As I left I felt so blessed to see how God works. Circle church is anywhere I am!!!
I left the club and decided to go to Starbucks to get a latte. When I was waiting for my drink, a man with a cane came in. He was smiling and it was obvious that everyone working at Starbucks knew him. They shouted a greeting to him and informed him they would order his usual. Directly behind him, a man in a wheelchair came into the shop. Again, the Starbucks people greeted him and asked if he wanted his usual.
He smiled and said yes but also he wanted a muffin. They immediately got him his drink and led him to a table. I pulled up a chair across the room and was enjoying my latte. My mind was full of the events that had already occurred at the club. I looked across the room and noticed how much the man was enjoying his huge cup of coffee. A few minutes went by when I noticed he never got his muffin. I got up and went to him and asked if he had ordered a muffin also. He smiled and said he did but it was okay. I told him I would go and see what happened to the muffin. Later, they brought him a breakfast sandwich. He smiled hugely and started digging into his breakfast! He shouted across the room and said, "Hey, can I call you my new special friend?" I laughed and said, "Sure". He shouted hello to a couple of men next to him. They seemed nice but you know...the kind of nice that says...we will be polite but that's about it! He looked over at me and patted the table and said "Hey, will you come over and talk to me?" Whoa! Didn't this just happen about an hour ago at the club? I came over to his table and met Don. Because I felt God called me over to meet him...I laughed and asked Don to tell me all about himself. He lives in a Foster Care Home and rides a shuttle every Saturday morning to Starbucks and has since the first day it opened. He was pretty proud of that! He asked me if I would like his address and phone number. I wasn't really interested in that but I didn't want him to feel bad. He pulled his wallet out and directed me where to find the information. I noticed there were only three things in his wallet... three cards...an identification card with his name, address and phone number...the card from the Care Home and a Starbucks card. I jotted down his address mostly because he was determined for me to do that. He told me I could come visit him anytime. My heart broke for such a lonely soul. I wasn't at his table long when a man came to the table. He asked Don if everything was okay and of course he said "yes". Dennis introduced himself to me as Don's friend. We shook hands and as Dennis turned to leave I used this time to say my goodbyes to Don. I followed Dennis to his table. I was curious about his relationship with Don. He told me that he and his brother make sure Don has a full Starbucks card! Evidently, Don used to ask other people to help him out if he didn't have enough money and Starbucks was worried about their patrons. Dennis and his brother thought this would be a great ministry...to show love and kindness to someone who would appreciate it. He said, "When I asked Don if everything was okay...that was to find out if he still had money on his card!" I glanced down and saw a Bible on Dennis's table. I smiled and said "You are a believer, aren't you!" Dennis responded with a hand shake and smile. God is good. What an incredible experience. I felt like I went on a God journey...watching God work through people. How cool is that?
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. I John 3: 16-18
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