Entertaining Angels

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17th Ave SW, blessed, Calgary, Diana Schwenk, friends, grateful, Homelessness, humbled, Hump Day Chronicles, Jesus, John the Baptist, judging, sacred ground, Tomkins Park, Truth

It was the first sunny day after way-too-many  days of rain in a row. I was so excited to get out there and soak in my much-needed hit of vitamin D.

After running a bunch of errands, I met up with my BFF for coffee in the park. This a favourite pastime of ours. We like to make up stories of the people we see and let me tell ya, 17th Ave is the perfect place to observe people!

Our people-watching, coffee-drinking bench – summer 2012

So we were sitting there talking about our families and other current goings-on when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a homeless man approach us. I’d spied him with his friends earlier but they were a ways off and now he was approaching us.

I’m going to steer away from this story for a moment to say that I had spent 20 years of my life working for an organization that cares for the homeless and I’d learned a lot from them about what’s really important in this world. I’m not a stranger to the sector. I’m not afraid of people who are experiencing homelessness. And I’m not proud of the rest of this story, in fact, I’m a little ashamed because I know better.

Ok, back to my story… I just really wasn’t wanting an encounter with a homeless person at that moment. I think I mumbled something like, ‘Oh here we go’  under my breath. I was annoyed. Me and my BFF were having a good conversation. We hadn’t seen each other in a few days and I didn’t feel like getting pan-handled!

So, this man approaches us with his hand out (not to receive change, but offered as in a handshake) and I’m thinking to myself, “I am NOT shaking your hand!” He said something that I didn’t quite catch and then followed up with, “Jesus will be coming soon and He loves you and I LOVE YOU TOO!”

Ok, this is me steering away from the story again for a moment. Some of you know that I am a Christian. You may also know that I have been embarrassed about the way Christians are perceived at times so it’s not something I just come out with when I first meet someone. More on that in this post, if you’re interested

His words cut through all the crap I was thinking like a hot knife through butter. I extended my hand to him and told him Jesus and me, we both loved him too. We chatted a bit more and then he was off to the next bench to bring his message of love to someone else.

Now I know that not all my readers are Christians and that’s OK. That’s not what this story is about for me. It’s about judging people by appearance and making up my mind, before he even spoke, about how this encounter would play out.

If you are familiar with the Bible at all, you would have read about John the Baptist. John lived in the wilderness and to the casual observer he would have given the impression that he was a lunatic. In today’s world we may even say he is mentally ill. I mean seriously, he ate locusts, ranted and raved to passers-by about their hypocrisy and I’m guessing he may not have smelled so good. John however, is the man who Christians the world over recognize as the one chosen to prepare the way for Jesus.

Shame on me for judging another human being in the park before he even spoke a word. In my heart I judged him, yet in his heart he wanted only to bless me – and that he did.

Ok back to the story one last time. As he walked away I couldn’t help feeling that I was on sacred ground – that I had been reminded of an important truth. And I was grateful. I turned to look at my BFF – yanno – to share this special moment with her and was surprised to see her laughing!

“What’s so funny??”

“Didn’t you hear he what he said when he first came over?”

“No, I didn’t quite catch it, what did he say?”

“He said,” she managed to spit out in spite of her giggling fit, “He said…as he was reaching his hand out to you…It’s ‘Be Nice to Old People Day’!”

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. ~ Hebrews 13:2

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• Not Appropriate: Homeless Jesus (simonebrosig.wordpress.com)

One return-trip in a time machine – where would you go?

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Calgary, Diana Schwenk, Jesus, question, Sea of Galilee, Time travel

It’s Saturday as I write this and I’m sitting in Tomkins Park in Calgary, Alberta listening to a band called the Wine Soaked Preachers. They’re local and very good.

The Wine Soaked Preachers

I have a note pad and a pen with me and I’m thinking about a post I read this morning by Inner angels and enemies where the writer asked some very thought-provoking questions.

My Favourite question was, “If you had access to one return trip in a time machine, how would you use it?”

Today, in long-hand, I will attempt to answer this question as if I’m really going back in time.

I step into the time machine having made my destination choice…

…I appear on a road that leads to a lake, a lake that is so big it seems like a sea.

A lone man sits by the lake. Is he meditating, thinking?

I watch him from a distance and wonder if he knows I’m there.

I have so many questions for him, so many things I want to ask him, but I know by the size of the crowd that has slowly been gathering around him, I might only get the chance to ask one.

I can’t quite hear what he is saying so I move a bit closer. I’m standing on the outer edge of the crowd that has started growing exponentially larger by the second. So much so, that people are pressing against him.

He stands and speaks to a man who nods and leads him to a boat that is anchored close to shore.

The once lone man steps into the boat and continues speaking in a language I’ve never heard but for some reason I now understand.

He’s saying something about farming and planting seeds – but I know his story has a deeper meaning.

My mind drifts back to why I’m here… I need to pick a question…there are so many flashing through my mind. How can I pick just one? As each question passes through my mind, I dismiss it as not worthy enough, not important enough.

“I tell you the truth…” His voice draws me out of my thoughts… ”there are many who have wished that they could see what you’re seeing and hear what you’re hearing right now.”

I look around; the crowd has become overwhelmingly and unbearably huge.

~

Wait…

is he looking at me?

No, he can’t be.

Yes! He’s looking right at me.

His eyes are both intensely severe and soft. His jaw line is hard and yet he exudes… he’s spilling over with kindness and love.

The crowd suddenly blocks my view of him completely. I realize now that I won’t be able to ask him even one question.

Just behind me to my left, there’s a large rock and I head toward it and sit down.

The sun is low in the sky.

I sigh – a deep sigh.

I did not get to ask a question.

But I’ve read so much about him and now I’ve even seen him – Wow!

~

And suddenly he’s there…

standing behind me.

His hand on my shoulder.

“What’s your question, Diana?”

Every question I have ever had seems strangely trivial now.

I’m just so happy…

no I’m ecstatic to be here in his company.

He walks around and sits beside me. I look at him. There’s nothing about his appearance that sets him apart.

I mean he’s not excessively good-looking or anything, but he is so beautiful to me.

I tentatively lay my head on his shoulder, a tear rolls down my cheek and together we watch the sun as it dips below the horizon.

It would be so amazing if you decide to choose a question and write your answer in a post.

Check out Connecting with Questions and let your imagination go.

I can’t wait to read it!