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the searbys
Thursday, September 08, 2005
all that matters is a cheeseburger
Yesterday was the most challenging day I've had since we've lived in Gainesville. Yet I came away at the end of the day knowing that all was well and God is good. Here's the story.
I had to finish hauling the rest of the furniture we'd painted from the house to our apartment. I was able to borrow a truck from Ken (an elder at Harvest.) The truck is an '81 dodge, a real "truck of a truck." Bobby helped me with the first load of larger pieces which went without incident. I then loaded up the truck again and headed back to the apartment. On the way the truck died several times, including on the corner of University and 13th, one of the busiest intersections in town. The guy behind me was nice enough to give me a push start and I made it a little further before dying again. When I finally got to the apartment I was already late for the 1:00 meeting at church so I unloaded as quickly as possible, dripping with sweat, took a 1 minute shower and raced to church in our Camaro so as not to risk breaking down again. After our meeting Ken determined that the truck would probably be ok so I should just finish up and bring it back to their house later.
I had to go to the bank and since it was 2:30 and I hadn't eaten lunch I wanted to eat something too. As I approached the ATM I saw a homeless guy with a sign standing on the corner looking very tired, hungry and dirty (as most homeless guys do.) I went through the ATM and as I passed him on my way out I asked if he was hungry. He said, "oh yeah man, I haven't eaten in two days." So I said, " walk across the street and I'll buy you lunch at McDonald's. He did and we went in together. I asked him if he'd like to eat with me. He declined. I told him to get whatever he wanted. So he said, "three double cheeseburgers and a sack of fries sounds really good." I said ok and began to order when the nice cashier told me they had regular cheeseburgers on sale so I got him five of those instead. We enchanged a few more words, he telling me that his bike tire had blown and he had to walk everywhere now. He said something about how tough it was to have no transportation, no food, no money and no home. Yeah, I imagine it is. I told him I'd been there once, not for very long, but I had. I looked him straight in his empty eyes and smiled at him, hoping to bring some glimmer of joy to his day. His name is Ed.
I went back to the apartment and got in the truck heading back to the house. It died on the way. By now it was 4:30. I called Ken and he came to where it had died and tried to get it going again. Looks like the fuel pump went out so at least its not my fault. He hooked up the truck to his little blue Ford Taurus using a fire hose that he keeps around for that purpose. He towed me back to their house. Man, I felt like I was in Kentucky (sorry friends from Kentucky.) Then I went and picked up Jen, late, and we headed home for about 15 minutes before going back to the house where Lee-Ann was meeting us with another truck to finish getting everything out. We grabbed Taco Bell on the way, which I didn't get to finish until after the moving, around 10:00 as we watched the news of the tropical storm that is headed our way. Did I mention that every light was red yesterday? Or that I hurt my back? But you know what, as I rode in the back of the truck (holding down my fourteen-foot long LCC bleacher boards so they wouldn't fly out) I looked out into the sky, with the setting sun turning it orange and shades of purple, and I remembered that none of that stuff that had happened to me really mattered, except that I gave Ed some cheeseburgers. I was so thankful to God as I rode through Gainesville, surveying the world behind a truck. We are so blessed and I do not ever want to forget that. I hope you get to sense God's blessings on your life today.
-joel
I had to finish hauling the rest of the furniture we'd painted from the house to our apartment. I was able to borrow a truck from Ken (an elder at Harvest.) The truck is an '81 dodge, a real "truck of a truck." Bobby helped me with the first load of larger pieces which went without incident. I then loaded up the truck again and headed back to the apartment. On the way the truck died several times, including on the corner of University and 13th, one of the busiest intersections in town. The guy behind me was nice enough to give me a push start and I made it a little further before dying again. When I finally got to the apartment I was already late for the 1:00 meeting at church so I unloaded as quickly as possible, dripping with sweat, took a 1 minute shower and raced to church in our Camaro so as not to risk breaking down again. After our meeting Ken determined that the truck would probably be ok so I should just finish up and bring it back to their house later.
I had to go to the bank and since it was 2:30 and I hadn't eaten lunch I wanted to eat something too. As I approached the ATM I saw a homeless guy with a sign standing on the corner looking very tired, hungry and dirty (as most homeless guys do.) I went through the ATM and as I passed him on my way out I asked if he was hungry. He said, "oh yeah man, I haven't eaten in two days." So I said, " walk across the street and I'll buy you lunch at McDonald's. He did and we went in together. I asked him if he'd like to eat with me. He declined. I told him to get whatever he wanted. So he said, "three double cheeseburgers and a sack of fries sounds really good." I said ok and began to order when the nice cashier told me they had regular cheeseburgers on sale so I got him five of those instead. We enchanged a few more words, he telling me that his bike tire had blown and he had to walk everywhere now. He said something about how tough it was to have no transportation, no food, no money and no home. Yeah, I imagine it is. I told him I'd been there once, not for very long, but I had. I looked him straight in his empty eyes and smiled at him, hoping to bring some glimmer of joy to his day. His name is Ed.
I went back to the apartment and got in the truck heading back to the house. It died on the way. By now it was 4:30. I called Ken and he came to where it had died and tried to get it going again. Looks like the fuel pump went out so at least its not my fault. He hooked up the truck to his little blue Ford Taurus using a fire hose that he keeps around for that purpose. He towed me back to their house. Man, I felt like I was in Kentucky (sorry friends from Kentucky.) Then I went and picked up Jen, late, and we headed home for about 15 minutes before going back to the house where Lee-Ann was meeting us with another truck to finish getting everything out. We grabbed Taco Bell on the way, which I didn't get to finish until after the moving, around 10:00 as we watched the news of the tropical storm that is headed our way. Did I mention that every light was red yesterday? Or that I hurt my back? But you know what, as I rode in the back of the truck (holding down my fourteen-foot long LCC bleacher boards so they wouldn't fly out) I looked out into the sky, with the setting sun turning it orange and shades of purple, and I remembered that none of that stuff that had happened to me really mattered, except that I gave Ed some cheeseburgers. I was so thankful to God as I rode through Gainesville, surveying the world behind a truck. We are so blessed and I do not ever want to forget that. I hope you get to sense God's blessings on your life today.
-joel
reading your webb each day is like a mystery book except I know God is with you each step of the way
I love it and love both of you
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it is so cool to read these stories, you guys! thanks for sharing and thanks for seeing the world through a set of eyes that I wish I could have all the time. sometimes I think I might miss the obvious ways I could help people.
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thanks for your updates on your lives in gainsville. you encourage me in so many ways to live how Christ lived. thanks for your kind and intentional actions which speak so much lounder than words.
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