Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Can You Help Me? - Shelter Week - Day 4

Can you help me?


I was trying to pull a trash bag up and out of a tall, thin garbage bag and it was stuck. One of our guests, George,  who was passing by , stepped forward to help by holding the canister while I pulled out the stuck bag. An easy job now with all four of our hands.


George then said,  "We would be happy to help if you would just ask." In one holy instant, my mind was blown and my B.S. - (belief system) was shredded again.


I like to think that I am a fairly awake, open minded to life in all of its diversity, loving guy. And yet, I had not considered asking for help from this kind, homeless, guest. Why, I wondered? The question was screaming in my mind. The thoughts came flooding bearing all of the reasons I had not asked him for a hand. I am here to serve him, he is a guest -- blah, blah, blah.


I am here to serve him? The implied belief of he/they need me. Suddenly, The Work was in my mind. He needs me? Is that true? Can I really know it is true? How do I feel, what happens when I believe that he needs me. What if I dropped the belief? The turn around: I need him. Yes! I need him. To hold the can so I can remove the stuck bag.. I need him to reflect Christ in a way I can get it. To reveal in me a stuck place in my belief system and expose Reality in all of its radiance.


Thanks, George, for helping me wake-up a little more. I see now, my question to George and the other 97 people in the shelter tonight is, "Can you help me become more awake? Will you help me become more human?  More aware of  Christ within us all and the Truth of  the One Life I so easily teach, preach and think about. Now, beyond thought, a brief experience of reality.


Thank You God for piercing my heart with a single, simple statement from a very kind man.


Someone Like You!


Bethany was all smiles, when I asked if she had gotten to the doctor the prior day. She told me she had and then asked if she could share a song she recorded. I said sure, so she handed me her cell phone and there was a woman with a pretty voice singing Adele's song ":Someone Like You" a cappella. After a few seconds, I realized that the Bethany was the woman singing. I told her she had a very good voice and asked if she would like to see the music video of the song?


"Yes", she said. She had a question about a line of the lyrics and had not been able to catch the words. So I opened up YouTube on my phone and streamed the video for her. It is a powerful song that about a broken heart and love that didn't work out  Together, we figured out the lyrics for the line she had missed.


"I had never seen the video, she told me. "I just heard the song a couple of times and liked it."


I asked Bethany if she had ever had her heart broken.


"Yes," she said. More than once.


"Me too," I thought. Right now.







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