there are people i'm investing in
and the return-on-investment isn't quantifiable ..
not a very thoughtful type of investment if you're looking to make $
but it's not about making $
it's about something much more significant
as in hope
as in life
as in love
as in Jesus
one of the issues with western christianity is the entanglement with corporate techniques to measure success
'cept we ain't dealing in $ or numbers or percentages
we're dealing in the souls of men ..
christianity has become about $
but that's to abuse the name of Jesus
that homeless person that came to bring reconciliation
not $
not numbers
not western-style success
success in the kingdom is flip-side-up
you go down
to go up
and going up usually results in down ..
the first will be last and the last first kindathingy ..
meet Random
i mentioned him a couple blog posts ago
he's my return-on-investment
i didn't know if i'd see Random again
but i saw him yesterday and today
and i was very thankful
very
he's an indigenous american and a vietnam vet
i'm not sure how old he is
maybe 50's
it's difficult to tell sometimes - homelessness ages a person fast
Random doesn't know i took this pic
he's been crying today
although a lot less than he was ..
see, his 27 year old son was killed in a car accident a couple weeks ago
and it broke his heart
he had to beg and borrow the money to bury him
and he ' put him in the ground ' as he said
and then he went on a drunk
because he couldn't deal with the pain and the sorrow
and there was noone
so he drank
and drank
i'm glad i met him
God has been sending a couple people to Random from time to time ..
a stranger-lady brought him a sub sandwich on the tracks where he sleeps - not a word, just gave it to him and patted his shoulder
then there's Jimbo another homeless dude that sang an impromptu song at the last homeless meal we shared
Jimbo has been finding Random and helping him a bit, encouraging him ..
and McTavish, who thinks he is god, makes company too at times
although he thinks he's god :)
Random is still here ..
he's come a long way in the last several days ..
he wasn't sure he wanted to keep on living ..
but .. i saw him today
and yesterday
and i hope to see him tomorrow
round about 4.00 a.m. or so when we open the doors to the warm-up room where street people can come in from the cold and sleep and eat hot food and drink hot drinks
and talk
maybe ..
Random is my friend
he may not remember my name
i don't really care ..
he told me today ' i love you '
and my return-on-investment just went directly through the roof
as in straight up
maxed-out returns
how do you measure that ?
you don't
you simply smile in your heart
turn your eyes thataway
and whisper ' thank you ' to Jesus, my Rabbi
and walk on
hoping Random will be back
and others like him ..
or not like him
doesn't matter
bring 'em on
i need them
i want them
i want to be with them
i want to hear them
see them
know them
and i want them to know Jesus
my best friend
my master
that's all ..
i need more Randomness in my life ..
the returns are in-credible
shalom
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