some warmth amidst this stone cold city

This past weekend started out like one of those days where you just can't find anything to do. These days dumbfound me because there is absolutely no reason for your attitude to be so blah, but nevertheless, it is blah. So, Friday started this way. I just sat in my room and then wandered around the floor a little bit. However, I apparently forgot that there is an entire city right outside my window. Eventually I kicked myself in the head and told myself that I needed to get out. It is very lonely if you wander the streets of Chicago by yourself, at 10 degrees farenheit, late in the evening. I decided to invite my new brother Jon from O.C., Cali to go on a little walk. So we did.

Initially we were walking for no reason and with no intended destination. However, the Lord has a weird way of prodding me when I am doing something without purpose. So, we prayed that the Lord would bring about someone for us to talk to. If not, we would enjoy a nice walk and some good conversation. Nothing happened for the longest time. We just walked and froze. We shared testimonies and just got to know one another a little bit more. We were approaching lower Wacker, which is a place where many homeless live, and decided to check it out. We did not initially see anyone and so we decided to head to Excalibur. Excalibur is one of the biggest dance clubs in the Chicago and is known throughout the world. We figured there must be tons of people there to get to know.

We approached the club and, sure enough, there were tons of people waiting in the freezing cold to get in the place and start living the "good life". We met a man who was standing outside and talked to him for a little while. Jon and I listened to the rundown of the history of the building and such. We turned around after a few minutes and saw a man staring at us with glazed-over eyes. I knew he was really drunk. But, we turned to him and started a conversation. We learned some about who he was and where he was from. It was great to be able to share the love of Christ through simple conversation. This man had been beaten and battered by society and by his own bad decisions. This is the first time that I have felt the Lord calling me to love another person in this city by just speaking with an honest heart. I was filled with joy just sitting there talking to this troubled man. My joy was from the Lord as He worked through me. I found that my heart can love someone in the middle of a cold night, in the middle of a cold city, without any reason other than to conform more to the likeness of Christ.

I don't know if I had any impact on this man's life. He was drunk, but I think he still understood that Jon and I cared about him. I pray for this man. I pray that when I get to heaven, I will see him there. I pray that he will realize the source of the love that we showed for him. Either way, I have never gotten so much from giving. My heart has changed in its view of this dark city. There is a harvest field. So many need His love. If I can be the vessel for this, then I am fulfilling my purpose. What a great weekend.