John John

I did something new today that I've had floating around my mind for quite some time. I was at Costco getting groceries and instead of going somewhere else to eat dinner before class I decided to just get a multi-person tray of pre-made turkey wraps (don't ask me why, I don't even like turkey) so that for not much more I would have a bunch of extras to give to the homeless guys on the street. So after class I found a parking lot and walked up to a corner feeling rather silly carrying a tray of food. I met John John, a 30/40ish man with a cardboard sign telling all the drivers to smile. Half backpedaling, (I don't know why, who cares if a stranger thinks I'm crazy) I said "Sir, this may sound very odd but I think God has told me to bring you supper tonight." I don't know if I thought he was going to laugh at me, say 'no, I just want money', or think I was trying to poison him, but I was quite shocked when he was grateful and took the food. He first said "I'm going to pray and eat this right now" but then stopped and said no he was going to wait for his friend (Michael "Savage" Savick) so they could both share it. He then asked me to pray for him. I don't have the humility to ask for that! I guess that's one of my weaknesses/sins. We talked for about 20 min...he couldn't quite tell me how he got to where he is now, but I know he came from the southwest. It seems most of the homeless come to Anchorage from somewhere else in Alaska. He had already stayed at the shelter for 30 days so now he wasn't allowed back for another 30 days so his goal for the night was to find a warm place to sleep off the concrete and out of the wind. He had a small plastic shopping bag with a thin blanket in... I wished I would have had another one to give him.

Maybe next time I'll get a pizza and find someone to share dinner with and actually listen over a meal.