He'll be coming around the mountain when he comes....

With all the heartache and madness that presents itself on the news and just around the corner in our neighborhood...I like to keep a running mental log of things that remind me of the goodness of people as well as little nuggets of Glory available for my eyes to see this side of heaven.

Here's the scenario.

A bunch of the construction crew and contractors decided they were done for the day last week and wanted to grill out after work. I'm not sure who really drives around with a portable grill in the back of their car, but someone did. I came busting out of the office and realized there was a full-on BarBQ right outside the office on the sidewalk. As if that isn't glorious enough. You gotta love people that take a normal Thursday and make it into a time to celebrate with hot links (a term I was unfamiliar with until moving to the inner-city) on a portable grill outside the office. As more and more people strolled out of the office, the BarBQ kept gaining more and more momentum. I sat on a fire hydrant eating a hot link on wonder bread with the guys. And had a great time.

Then out of nowhere Henry strolls up to the full-on BarBQ. I don't know all of Henry's story except he's an older fella that has been around Breaking Ground for a while living in our discipleship house. All the guys in the house call him "dad". He's the most humble, grateful, soft spoken man I've ever met with a genuine gentleness to him that is rare in this neck of the woods. From the first day I met him, I loved him. Whatever "hits" life has brought his way or madness he has chosen to get himself into over the years, he's really an older man now that has learned and is learning from the mistakes of his life. My heart just wants good for him. A few weeks ago he stopped by our house to have dinner in his car that he had been saving up to buy. It's a modest older Chrysler, but it's his and he bought it.

Here's the goodness that brought tears to my eye.

He came walking up to the BarBQ on a mission to find help because his car had died at the intersection one block away, which happened to be in front of the police station. Apparently it was blocking traffic and he didn't want to get a ticket, but at the same time was unable to get the car up and around the corner out of the intersection. Immediately, 3 big guys jumped in the van to go help Henry move his car. There sat Henry in the drivers seat with 3 big men holding hot links on wonder bread pushing a car up hill around the corner. I literally got a tear in my eye. This situation seems so symbolic of the way I see these guys love and serve each other. When someone is in need, you help. I want to be like that.

I've grown to love these guys. It's a joy to work with these people and see their Glory when so much of the time society brushes them off as "not worth our time". I came home blessed.