Why it Matters, What Ifs & Are You Always Listening For God?

Yesterday’s outreach started like most Thursdays, cooking at the shed, serving at Roselawn then out roaming. We arrive at the levee, start handing out breakfast and a couple of the regular folks we serve point down the levee back toward town & tell me the person I see is a 15 year old kid. The boy is walking away from where we are.

I go to the guy handing out the breakfast, he’s a runner, & half- jokingly say you’re a runner, why don’t you run down there catch the kid and bring him a breakfast. He didn’t take me serious, I didn’t know that I was serious, the kid was steadily walking away putting distance between us.

That’s when God took over. I grabbed a breakfast and had this overwhelming need to get to this boy. The runner looked at me and said wait, I’ll go with you, but he was still busy handing out breakfast. I couldn’t wait. I started hurrying to catch up with this boy. He says to be careful and not get out of sight, I joke and tell him not to worry. You see, I still don’t realize what’s going on, but I know I have to get to this kid. I scurry sideways down the levee instead of taking the paved ramp, I rush to cross the road and before I get across I’m yelling to get his attention. By this time I’m jogging into the field as the boy reaches the railroad tracks. I hear a train and try to get his attention between the train whistle blowing. He sees/hears me and turns before the train passes.

I offer him breakfast or something to drink, he doesn’t want anything. His name is Dustin, he’s aloof and distant, said he had stopped by to see someone he met a while back that serves with us, but didn’t see them on the levee. I ask him to go back with me, saying not everyone had arrived yet and we’d see if we could figure out who he was looking for.

I don’t know why, but I needed to really connect with this kid, I start asking where he’s from, what’s he doing out there, etc. As we make our way back to the levee he starts to open up and share his story with me. He lived in Houma from age 5 -12 somehow ended up in Baton Rouge, lives in a group home, is skipping school, doesn’t like it here. He shared where he goes to school, but not what group home he’s at. Once he started talking it all just starts pouring out, details of his life and the trouble he’s in.

He tells me that when he didn’t see the person he was looking for at the levee, he started walking away. He said he didn’t know where he was going. When he reached the train tracks and heard the train he was thinking about laying across the tracks and ending it all because things were so bad.

I’m dumbfounded, praying, God, give me your words to talk to this child, let him know You love him and he’s worth it and he matters. We continue to talk, he tells me his family was split up all except he and his twin brother Devin. He started getting into trouble and the family that took his brother in was supposed to come back for him but they didn’t. He feels like he’s all bad and his twin is all good. He says he wants to do better but getting in trouble is a habit, he does it without even thinking about it. We talk about God, he tells me he’s not sure if he’s saved. He had accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior but now doesn’t think he is saved because he keeps getting into trouble.

The words come, they aren’t mine they are God’s, now I’m the one pouring out to him that he matters to God, that we are all sinners that we all need forgiveness. I share how God has answered my prayers and that I still have to pray every day for his help and guidance. I tell him that God doesn’t give up on us when we mess up, He always loves us. He lets me pray for him.

With the help of another volunteer, we had figured out that the person he was looking for was Charla, one of the dedicated homeless volunteers. He had come by to thank her for giving him a card to a youth shelter program a few weeks before. We assure him we’ll pass on the message to her. I ask if there’s a number she can reach him at. He knows he’ll be in trouble when he returns to the group home and won’t have phone privileges for a while. We give him a card with the number for the 24hr hotline telling him he can reach us that way.

It’s time for us to go but I’m afraid, I don’t want to lose contact with this boy. I hug him tell him I love him and encourage him to pray. That’s when he decides to take me up on the offer for something to drink. The truck that has the food in it is already headed down the levee ramp. I’m hollering for them to stop, they don’t hear me. Dustin says it’s ok he doesn’t need it. But you see, I’m not in control, God is. So I’m running down the levee again and catch them just as they are pulling out. They back up and are giving Dustin something to drink. I don’t know why, but I knew my part was finished so I headed back up the levee to my ride.

That’s when David, our volunteer who transports the food, meets Dustin. He recognizes him, you see David mentors another boy that stays in the same group home as Dustin. Praise God! He had already tried to reach out to Dustin when he was there to see the other boy. Dustin recognizes him too, now we have a connection!

For a long time I wondered what it was like for God to speak to someone. For a while now I’ve known when He’s telling me something, but wow when He uses us all together and we all hear & listen.

You see, Charla was disappointed she couldn’t go roaming with us yesterday, but God had already used her for His purpose weeks before.

I wasn’t supposed to be there yesterday, I was bummed, I wouldn’t get to spend time with Valerie a volunteer that was in town from Florida. Then the client I had an appointment with had to reschedule. Yeah, I could hang with Valerie. In my narrow vision I thought that was all that was going on.

David tried to reach out to Dustin at the group home before, but didn’t reach him. It wasn’t God’s timing, but yesterday was.

Thank you God for taking over, thank You for using us for Your purpose.

J