It's A Long Walk From The Street - A journey with a guy called "Joe" - part 14

That following Monday, Joe and I went to pick up his food stamps card at the Little Creek office. It was like watching a big kid get his long-awaited Christmas gift. Joe was happy. I saw hope on his face. That following Wednesday we went back to the Little Creek office for his FSET Assessment so that they could qualify him for receiving the food stamps assistance over time. They gave Joe a medical evaluation form that he would need to have a physician complete. Once a physician verified his disability, Joe would be eligible to receive all the assistance he needed.

As we left Little Creek and headed back to Joe’s stepmother’s house, we passed by the DMV office. I knew that Joe still didn’t have any proof of an address nor his social security card. But he had received a copy of his birth certificate already in the mail. For some reason, I felt like there might be a possibility we may be able to get his state ID. So we turned around and went to the DMV office. We got in line. I started praying for God’s favor. When we spoke with the woman at the counter and explained Joe’s situation, she asked if we could get someone from the Union Mission to fax a letter verifying that Joe was a resident at the shelter. I got the Union Mission on the phone. They promptly faxed the letter. After only about 1.5 hours, Joe had his state ID card. Walking out of the office, Joe looked at me and said, “You did it again.” I asked, “Did what?” He said, “You did what you said you were gonna do.” I told him that I was only trying to do what I believed Jesus would do.

That Monday, we went looking for where Joe could get seen by a physician. We went to a couple of places before we found the right place. We arrived at Park Place Medical Center. There was a sign on the door to let us know that it was closed. I then remembered that it was a holiday.

It's A Long Walk From The Street - A journey with a guy named "Joe" - part 13

So, this is how we got here. After burning relationship after relationship because of an addiction from his youth, Joe was now a homeless man with very little hope.

I remember listening to – then, President-elect Barack Obama as he encouraged this nation to find a way to help our own communities. I remember the story of the Good Samaritan who took out the time to rescue someone who was of another culture but in need of help. I remember all the times in the scriptures when Jesus made himself accessible to the crowd and would stop in the midst of his hectic schedule to help people. I remember the stories of how Jesus would be on his way to an important appointment but would deviate from his agenda to tend to the need of someone whose path he happened to cross.

How can we as Christians be too busy to deviate from our schedules and help people in our communities? How can we be the body of Christ and not literally work to make this world better?

I sat in two funerals toward the end of the year and saw how these two people affected so many lives. They lived lives that truly outlived them. They did things that lived on in the people they helped. I decided that I want to do the same. I know that God didn’t just put me here to take care of Michael. I was placed on this earth to make it better. I was born to help Joe.

Saturday:
Got in the car to head back to Virginia. I couldn’t wait to start calling Joe’s family and see where things stood. I was so incredibly thrilled to find out that Joe’s brother and daughter had combined their efforts and got Joe into the Union Mission. Already, the family relationships were starting to re-emerge. Joe was on the first leg of what would be a 28-day stay.