I was struggling to get back into regular attendance at my church (Second Church in Indianapolis, Ind.), but the headaches meant some Sundays I could not go and sometimes went and had to leave early. An upcoming move to Michigan and an adjustment of my medications created even more stress.
I was soon to see how God can use us in the middle of such difficult, complex circumstances.
One morning, on the way to Bible study, I headed to Starbucks for a hot Chai. As I approached, I noticed a man sitting in a corner outside of the store. I walked over and knelt down beside him. It took a lot of effort for him to raise his head. I asked his name and how long he had been here. It surprised me to learn he had been there possibly for at least two days. I decided we should go inside to get warm. He stood and I saw the bottle of vodka. He would not give it to me and I was not going to argue with him. So we sat there and talked even though it was 30 degrees and sunny. With tears in his eyes he told me that he had a wife and children he loved very much. But at this moment, he obviously loved the vodka more. I could see into his soul. It was a good soul that could not get beyond his addiction. He remarked that God loves him; I could tell he knew Him very well.
I asked him, “What do you want me to do?”
As I was calling his wife as he asked, policemen, who had been alerted to the situation, arrived. I briefed them and they talked to his wife also. My friend seemed to become very nervous and scared. He was afraid they were going to take him to jail. I reached for his hands and held them. Looking into his eyes I tried to reassure him that he had not done anything wrong. I told him to try to think of these two officers as his angels here to take care of him. He smiled at me and did not seem to be so afraid at that point. Then the officers said they were taking him a couple blocks over to St. Vincent’s Hospital Emergency Room. They were just as concerned about him as I was. Then I said goodbye.
The story does not quite end there. Later that day I got a phone call from his “former” wife and on behalf of her mother-in-law to thank me for taking care of John. They could not imagine how many people walked past him over the last two days. I said to them, “How could I not help him … I am a Christian … isn’t that what we are suppose to do?”
It was an overwhelming experience. I realized I was totally opened to God’s grace that morning and what occurred is called a providential moment. I cried and thanked God for using me, trusting me, and believing in me. As Lewis Galloway would often say in his sermons, helping and loving the unlovable is what Jesus would have us do. As clay is molded in a potter’s hand into something that can become very useful to God once again, God can rebuild, reshape, and renew me just like He can with His church.
Cindy Rouse-Baird is now a member of Community Church in Waterford, Mich., and is in seminary studying the Lay Pastor Ministry program, along with studying for her Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Chaplaincy.
