I confess,
Our Lord whittled on me tonight in a way that reminds me there's more whittling needs to be done on me. A lot. Reminded me that those who are orphans, widows, and aliens among us are literally all around us, I'm not real good at running into situations where it looks like orphans, widows and aliens hang out.

Tonight the Lord got the skinning knife out and began to peel some trapper heart.
In the year and a half I've been taking course work here at DTS, a seminary right down town Dallas, I've never gone down the block and eaten at the Jack-in-the-Box fast food biz.
Tonight for some reason, I felt like a burger. Don't really know why I went?

This area close by (a block) and this JITB are rugged urban areas. Rugged. Armed robberies and more. As I stood in line (no one else in it) people were coming in and out of the front door yelling at the poor young lady because every order it seems going out the drive thru, which was busier, was wrong. People were cussing, yelling, and all I wanted was a #8 super sized. And to get out asap. I prayed.

As I waited for my food, a man in the corner, sitting by himself said, "It's gonna talk them 15 minutes. They're slow."
I walked over and simply asked him how his night was going. And it ended in me eating dinner for an hour with a 58 year man named Pablo who was homeless, in a wheel chair, amputated right leg and no toes on his left leg. He was drinking a 25 cent coffee the store sold him and he never asked but I couldn't eat a #8 in front of him so we got another one. He told me he usually spends 6-8 hours a day in the JITB, that they let him, because he's either cold or hot and he sleeps in the alley out back. He had picked up a good coat about 5 years ealtier he found in the alley and he loves his "jacket" with the hood because tonight it's gonna get in the 30's.

He was a man of faith who prays for an end to this life so he can get his new body quicker because this one's worn plum out. He's a vet and served in Iraq before going into carpentry years ago. He had actually been part of a crew back in the late 1980's that built part of our chapel. He had some accidents, got let go, drank too much for 10 years, and now he's bad sick and much too proud he said to bother his two kids who live in another state. But they got him a phone to talk to their dad at least and keep track of him. I asked him how he could live on the streets like he does where life is beyond hard? He said it's better than the shelters because riff-raff he called them steal from you there. Bad places. He's tried. He prefers to "camp out."

We talked as best we could, two guys about the same age, from two opposite sides of life's paths. He asked me to pray with him because God is all he has. God is the only one who hasn't abused, hated, judged, or forsaken him. I was humbled to bow my head with a man I've never met before. He said thank you and if he had it to do all over again, he would have stayed married instead of picking booze as his mistress.

The orphans, widows, and aliens Pablos of this world, are everywhere in every town. I told Mr. Pablo I'll be bye from time to time to get a #8 and I'd sure like it if we could eat together next time too. He and I hugged a break the Dallas Covid-19 rules hug and he asked me why I stopped and said hello. All day long no one does that. I told him, honestly I have no idea. But there's paths we set upon and doors that are opened and I told him I wear better "seeing" glasses this days. Pablo replied, "Glory be to God Mark. Glory be to God."
It was a refection walk back to the apartment thanking our Lord for helping me "again" realize He's alive and in those we walk by every day and never realize the diversity, creativity, and majesty of His imaginative power.
Glory be to God that he gives us all a chance to be a part.
It was a fantastic life lesson for this worn out trapper in an urban jungle, all for less then ten bucks. JITB shoulda charged me $100.

Blessings Y'all!
Mark

Nice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll admit , I've been irritated with our homeless around here lately

Might be a Pablo amongst them , idk

Good Share!
Thanks

Heartwarming story Mark. Lots of Pablos out there unfortunately.

Might have been a test from ?
You did good!

Mark , 2 points. No , 3 points.
Good story/interaction.

Bless you.

Thanks Mark. You made my evening.

That was a much needed story tonight Mark. I'm going through a lot right now.

On a similar note a homeless man became a good friend of mine until one day he tells me his truck his fixed and just bought a house. He lived in the bed of his truck in a parking lot near my house for years.

Adam m,
A lot can be a lot!
Trapper to trapper, brother to brother, I'm a call away.

Blessings and prayers,
Mark

Mark, there are a lot of veterans programs that help people like Pablo, who are veterans down on their luck, especially if they're disabled. President Trump actually donates quite a bit to them. You may be able to get the finances, through one of the programs to get Pablo a home, prosthetics, a monthly stipend and medical care.

Keith

Thank you Keith. I thanked God for helping me better understand the day-to-day orphan, widow, and alien amongst us.
I'll take your good advice and hope (and pray of course) to help him.

As I talked to him, he was quite meek and said a number of times, "Oh I don't know. Just look at me,"... as in I don't think I'm worth much to anyone in this shape.
I hope to have a few more JITB #8's and see what we can do to assist him, Lord willing.

Thanks again,
Blessings,
Mark

Praise God.

Mark I have shared this trail. May God bless and keep you. Help us all know but for the grace of God there go I.

Keep us posted on this, if you would. Great story.

sounds like a great day mark ,the lord work in all of us ,

Sure enough makes one glad they don't have an addiction problem. If you can get his S.S.# the local American Legion or V.F.W. can get the ball rolling. If he wants to live a different way and if he is a vet.

Thank you, Mark...I suspect it was MORE than one Trapper's heart that got peeled tonight.

I would ask the James' and dannys of this world if it makes ANY intellectual sense at all that God would/could use a hamburger to change a man's (or mens') heart(s)...but OUR God did!

An old fella came through here about 5 years ago, pushing a shopping cart. I'd think the wheels would wear out fast.
He was very polite and wouldn't accept anything from anybody. He did camp out behind a motel and went in for the free breakfast in the mornings.
I saw him 100 miles south of here, and last time I saw him was 80 miles west of here, headed west on Hwy 20. I always wondered where he ended up.

I spoke with the Mrs. last night about my #8 burger experience. Donna asked me why I sat down with him. I told her I have no idea. For the hour he and I talked about life no less than 20 people came in and out the front door, cussing and throwing bags of food at the counter gal, because their order was messed up from the drive thru. The place was an absolute zoo. Chaos. I told Donna, maybe in that chaos, God wanted a couple old guys to talk about life. I have no idea.

Donna asked me if I asked him about this and that and I said mostly, "no." I really didn't ask him about his obvious "issues," but rather we just hung out. I know he needs a blanket. Another DTS student had said they'd bring him one a couple months back and he hasn't seen them back since. Another student had asked him if he has a Bible and he said he has two because one got really wet a few years back during a rain/tornado deal, so the mission gave him another one for free, and that student said next time he's in they could read through the first couple chapters of Matthew together. Musta been one of our NT students?? Pablo said a blanket would be nice because he sure could use it and if it's anything nice, the other "creeps" and "riff riff" he called them, would just steal it anyway.

I didn't think about quoting Scripture. I really didn't think about questioning him. We just hung out. Asked me about me like normal folk do. I asked him about him like normal folk do. We both had #8 super size meals. We hugged against the Dallas Covid rules and he shook my hand like the farmers I trap on > good to see ya. His parting comment "To God be the Glory Mark" was the comment of the night. The homeless man Pablo, who sits in a JITB to keep warm or cool 6-8 hours a day, and watched cars buzz along Live Oak street in downtown Dallas, who served this great nation and some people who couldn't care less that he did, has given this life all he has at great physical and mental cost....
tells the graduate seminary student how it all works. All of it.
"To God be the Glory Mark."
I had some great lessons in class this week. Extra good week actually.
Pablo, God's alien, and our society's toss was my lesson.
For 62+ years, I'd have never had my glasses on to realize it.

Blessings y'all.
Lord willing he and I will talk again.
And give each other another unlawful to man but mandate by God hug.
Seems many of man's ways are anti our God of unending mercy and compassion.
Mark

Awesome Mark!

Could have been an Angel.