Saturday night special

Last night my family and I had the privilege of serving in Paterson, NJ. This morning as I sit in my comfy chair, covered by a cozy blanket, sipping coffee let me tell you how it changed us. 

We had to leave by 5:45 to get to the church by 6:15 where we would car pool down to the relief bus in Paterson. All afternoon I was fighting not feeling great, I was sore, tired, and trying to rest up. I started thinking of how I would rather stay home and lay on the couch watching HGTV instead. As the time to leave approached we all stripped ourselves of jewelry, iPhones, designer clothes, and layered up in coats, scarves, and gloves. As we drove we talked to the kids about how they should act. “Don’t tell anyone where you live, only use your first names, be kind but be aware of dangers.”  Jon and I both commented on how dangerous the city is and between us I say we were pretty nervous. I kept thinking how it was going to be cold and I needed coffee. We stopped at Dunkin Dounuts and then we were off. The entire team met at the church and went over the procedures. I had our huge bags of donations and my coffee. I looked the part. 

We all piled into the church vans for the ride down. Besides the five of us there were 8 other couples. Everyone else had done this before, we were the newbies. The entire ride down I kept thinking how not being able to hear was going to affect my ability to help. I had considered cancelling us several times since my hearing aids broke, but with one somewhat functioning I decided we should go. However now I was nervous about what I wouldn’t hear. Would I miss someone saying something dangerous, or to get down, maybe I would miss understand someone and offend them. I sipped my coffee realizing it was going cold, I thought “oh man cold coffee, just perfect”.

When we pulled up to the relief bus there as a line forming already. The bus is there every Saturday 7-9 and the people in the community knew it. We all had stations to be in the bus. The kids along with another volunteer were in the kitchen handing out (very yummy) soup, hot chocolate, lemonade, and ice tea. Jon along with a group were outside in the back of the bus taking names on a clip board. If anyone was seeking shelter, rehab, or further help they were sent to the front of the bus where they could be given information. I was inside the back of the bus with another woman volunteer from another church (who I will call Lisa). People would come inside with us one at a time by signing up with Jon outside. When they came up our job was to give them a pair of socks, or gloves, or hat. They also were asked if they wanted a toiletry kit. We asked if they had any prayer requests, and if we could pray over them. 

The first person stepped up. I froze. I don’t even think I smiled. The gentleman had on a coat that said north face, but clearly looked as if it had been dragged over several miles of dirt roads and rocks before he acquired it. His face sad, his eyes filling with tears. Lisa asked what he needed prayer for. I didn’t hear what he said, but it didn’t really matter. She began to pray for him as I stood still slightly stunned not knowing what to do, so I just put my hand on his back. After we prayed I handed him a pair of socks, a soap kit, and off he went. Lisa smiled at me and said I did good. I doubted it. The next person stepped up. This time a young woman. She wanted prayer for a job interview she had Monday morning. Lisa prayed, I gave her a beautiful red hat and managed to say it would look lovely on her. She thanked us and off she went back outside. 

With each person that came up I started to relax. Not because of anything I did, but because of how wonderful they were. Each one smiled at me, asked me how I was doing, took my hand for prayer, said thank you, and were warm. Lisa and I started getting close too, complimenting people’s hair, shoes, smiles. A young boy 11 years old came up and asked for us to pray he gets an Xbox 360. Lisa knew just what to do, as she prayed she said “Lord I pray the desires of this child that he wants an Xbox, but I pray he desires You first.”  I looked up and the boy was nodding his head in agreement. 

My cold coffee long forgotten, my not hearing didn’t matter. A man stepped up, big smile. By now I was totally comfortable talking, laying hands, holding onto bodies many would shudder away from. So in he steps, his friendly spirit entered before he did. He welcomed us to the area because he was a regular as he put it. We prayed for him, and he prayed over us. He thanked God for us, and prayed for revival in this area.  He called us blessings. He accepted the soap kit and gloves with gratitude that you rarely see for such simple items. 

 A mother with a small child, a grandmother with 12 grand babies to feed, a man looking for work, a guy in college trying to make life better, people in pain, people in need, yet all people. I smelled enough alcohol on people’s breaths to intoxicate me, but not one was ungrateful. Another man stepped up, barely able to walk from drunkeness, we had to hold onto him so he didn’t fall right back out the bus. However he began to pray. He didn’t wait for our questions he just opened up his mouth and out fell the most beautiful prayer you ever heard. Every word coherent, not one slur, this man prior to this was barely able to utter his name for the list, and now here he was pouring out his soul in a perfect voice. Tears streaming down his face, he grabbed both of our hands and held on. Lisa and I could not contain our tears and the three of us must have been quite the sight. I don’t know if this man, or any of the other people we saw last night will be able to change their ways. I don’t know if the lady who prayed for electricity to be restored in her fire savaged home will ever get to go home again. I don’t know if after leaving us with soup in one hand, socks in another some will go around the corner and shoot up. What I do know is for those few minutes inside that bus we looked in each other eyes and we connected. For that small amount of time they felt loved, and so did I. For a mere two hours we were all one big grateful, loving community, and I felt safe, and I felt blessed.
On the ride home we all shared stories of our night. The kids said they saw many people happy, and thanking them. They took away that the people there were nicer than the general public in good old rich Bergen County. Not one person was rude, not one person annoyed, not one person didn’t say thank you. They asked the kids how they were doing, asked them if they were having a good day, and told us all to get home safe. We may have handed them food, clothing, and a prayer, but they gave us so much more to take home with us.