"Christians are bipolar," he said...

He sat on the steps of the church eating Ramen noodles.  I asked him how he was doing. "Having to eat out of the dumpster today," he said.

I admit, I wondered who had thrown Ramen noodles in a dumpster, but could not think of a graceful, non-incredulous-sounding way of asking.  He quickly satisfied my curiosity by explaining that a fellow homeless gentleman shared the noodles with him.

"I am really sorry," I replied.  "I have $2.00, and you are welcome to it, but I realize it won't get you much.  I wish I had more."

He said he had been back in Nashville for two weeks. Someone had stolen his backpack and the clothes in it.  I am thinking, seriously?  Not, seriously are you lying to me, but seriously, who steals from a homeless person?  How very privileged of  me. I suspect it was taken by someone who is hopeless and desperate as well.

He seemed embarrassed that the jeans he had on were dirty, but he had no others.

"You know ma'am lots of Christians are bi-polar.  You know what I mean by that?"

"I'm not sure.  Help me understand what you mean."

"We'll, they go to church, and they look good and are all right acting there, but you get them out on the street and they don't do a thing to help."

"Hmmmmmm, I am afraid that I do know what you mean."  I see a bipolar Christian in the mirror every morning.

I asked him if he was aware of resources available to him. He had not heard of the ones I suggested. He did not know of Father Strobel, and said that he is not Catholic. I assured him that he did not have to be. He shared that he does not have an ID.  I had no idea if that was a problem or not.  I tried to reach a minister at church, but he was not available. I knew I would be able to get help at church, I just did not have time at the moment to work it out as I was about to begin a tour.

"What is your name?"

"Earnest."

"My name is Marilyn.  It is a pleasure to know you."

"I's nice to meet you."

"Well, Earnest, give me some time, and I will work on finding you some clothes. Where can I find you, say tomorrow morning?"  I do not have time for this, I have to be at church tomorrow morning.  Really?  Church is going to keep you from meeting Earnest in the morning? Really?

"I will be down on 2nd Avenue tonight, and then I usually come sit on the church steps every morning."

"What time?"

"Sleeping on the concrete, I am usually up here by 4:00."

4:00 a.m.? Not going to happen, Earnest.

The people I was waiting for arrived.  "It was a privilege meeting you, Earnest." 

"No, ma'am, it was my privilege." 

We parted ways, probably with each of us thinking there was no way we would meet in the morning....me thinking that he was a "typical" homeless person who just cannot be depended on to be where they say they will be, and him thinking that I was a "typical bipolar Christian." 

Neither of us was taking into account God's grace in making sure that His children meet their divine appointments. 

For today, I wish you a church that responds, I wish you trust in a God who will see that you meet the most important divine appointments, and I wish you

blessings