In the early days of our community, Michelle, a founding partner of the Simple Way, and I headed out to get a loaf of bread. We walked underneath the El tracks just a block from our house, a strip notorious for its prostitution and drug trafficking, where the air is thick with tears and struggle. We walked past an alley, and tucked inside was a woman, tattered, cold, and on crutches. She approached me, asking if I wanted her services. Our hearts sank, but we scurried on to get our bread. Then we headed quickly home, nodding at the woman as we passed. When we got home and opened the bread, we noticed the bag had a large gash in the side and the bread had gone bad. We would have to go back, and we both knew what that meant. We would have to walk by that woman again. We walked by that alley and saw her in there crying, shivering. We got our bread, and as we saw her yet again, we could not just pass by. We stopped and told her we cared for her, that she was precious, worth more than a few bucks for tricks on the avenue. We explained that we had a home that was a safe place to get warm and have a snack. So she stumbled onto her crutches and came home with us.
As soon as we entered the house, she started weeping hysterically. Michelle held her as she wept. When she had gained her composure, she said, "You all are Christians, aren't you?" Michelle and I looked at each other, startled. We had said nothing about God or Jesus, and our house doesn't have a cross in the window, a neon "Jesus Saves" sign, or even a little Christian fish on the wall. She said, "I know that you are Christians because you shine. I used to be in love with Jesus like that, and when I was, I shined like diamonds in the sky, like the stars. But it's a cold dark world, and I lost my shine a little while back. I lost my shine on those streets." At that point we were all weeping. She asked us to pray with her that she might shine again. We did; we prayed that this dark world would not take away our shine.
Days, weeks went by, and we did not see her. One day, there was a knock at the door, and I opened it. On the steps there was a lovely lady with a contagious ear-to-ear smile. We stared at each other. We see a lot of people, so I was going to try to fake recognizing her, but she called my bluff and beat me to it. "Of course you don't recognize me, because I'm shining again. I'm shining." Then I knew. She went on to explain how deeply she had fallen in love with God again. She said she wanted to give us something to thank us for our hospitality but sadly confessed, "While I was on the streets, I lost everything I owned. Except this." She pulled out a box and apologetically confessed that she smoked a lot and always collected the Marlboro Mile points from the cigarette packs. "So this is all I have, but I want you to have it." And she handed me the box bursting at the seams with hundreds of Marlboro Miles. It's one of the most precious gifts I've ever been given, like receiving the widow's last pennies. And they make good Bible markers. Now, whenever I am speaking somewhere and open up the Word, I see a Marlboro Mile and am reminded of all the broken lives that have lost their shine a little while back.
Not too long ago, I got a phone call, and it was my friend! She had heard a sermon of mine in which I told this story, her story. And she got all excited. "I'm a resurrection story! I'm a resurrection story!"
That's what we get to do - love people back to life.
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So, have you done it lately? Have you loved anyone back to life? It can happen in an alley, or a grocery store line (even with social distancing), over the phone, in your workplace, with your neighbor, in the hospital, - actually anywhere you happen to be and meet a broken person! God wants to use you to help people get their shine back! Why not tell Him you're willing right now?
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