1
I met a man, a homeless man while talking about God with a friend.2
He taught me a lesson and showed me some truth and I realized3
I may have been entertaining and angel.4
His story began:5
"I woke up this morning and I was angry at God, Angry at life and society.What do you think happened? God showed me that he had not abandoned me.A man stopped by and gave me thirty two dollars so I could stay in a hostel"6
My friend asked then; "So you had a warm bed to sleep in and a shower last night?"7
He laughed. His extremities trembling with cold. 8
"Yeah" he said. "But I had to put my dirty socks back on."9
That struck me.10
His lesson that day included advice on becoming a member of the army of God.He warned. "You never know when the apocalypse will come. People think it will build up slowly and they’ll have time to prepare, but they’re wrong. The destruction will be by fire and it will strike hard and quick, and those standing with Jesus will be saved and those who are not, will burn. Always prepare for the apocalypse. Always walk with Jesus at your side"11
His words brought tears to my eyes, so full of sin. They had been dry far too long.12
As I got in my car I said aloud, "Thank you sweet Jesus. Thank you for that."13
Then I was dulled again. Pulled down by my inner demons and away from Jesus’ outstretched hand. God is speaking to me. He is speaking all too clear in the messages I’m thrown every day, that I am following the path to destruction. But still I ignore.14
This morning at the coffee shop, I sat outside to write. "He" was seated behind me, inside at the window. I could hear the anger in his voice. I could feel it and it struck me. I put down my pen.15
Finally he came storming out and took a seat a table away on the sidewalk. 16
I asked him, "What are you so angry about this morning?" 17
He went off, spouting the foulest language and claiming the voices around him were poisoning his inner spirit. He told me when it had began. He worked as an electrician in the Navy but lost his job when he started to hear mermaids. He told me that he was not insane, on the contrary. He had a fabulous imagination and a creative spark and society wanted to dull it because they didn’t want to hear. 18
He spoke of the toxins around us in the minds of people. He called the rain, ‘living water’ and cursed people for defecating in it with their impure thoughts. He said he was unfortunate because he was like a naked man; an exposed nerve, set off by such things; and people would rather label him insane so they wouldn’t have to listen and thus totally discredit his message.19
I listened.20
He said, man and woman alike, poison their thoughts with nothing but carnal pleasures.21
I am guilty of that .22
He said the key to wisdom is to understand that man does not possess it. All knowledge belongs to God and man is able only to tap it. He explained the fruit of the tree of knowledge was not an apple. When an apple hit Newton over the head, people got stuck on apples. He said the fruit was a fig. A mass of seeds. The seeds of ideas.23
"The meaning of life is to understand that while it is a gift; it is not a given. It is a privilege. The key to life is standing aside and nurturing the seeds that are our children and allowing them to thrive. The job of a mother is to watch her children while they sleep and plant positive seeds in their minds to grow."24
I am guilty of not doing that.25
Then he spoke about the draw of good and evil. He likened it to the positive and negative forces of a magnet. Positive plus positive equaled a constant sparking of activity, back and forth and back again, like the conversation we were having. A sharing of ideas. Negative plus negative equaled a big glob of evil. It attracts filth to itself, so when your mind is poisoned, poison is further drawn to you. Positive plus negative is one pushing the other and negative plus positive is the same thing only in the opposite direction.26
"It is important with things that you consider valuable, to be able to pick them up, admire them, bring them close and partake of them and then be able to set them down for the next man, enabling you to move forward."27
Then he thanked me. 28
"Why?" I asked. "I should thank you. You know what I like about you friend, is that you are like a mirror of reality. You stand before people as they walk past and if they dare to look, they would see the truth of their character. The question is whether or not they look. They may be ashamed and thus, shun you or they may look and learn." 29
"The secret to sanity in an insane world is to find a clear focus, a path to follow." He said. "Like a knife cuts through warm butter, you cut through my anger this morning. I was able to release those thoughts that plague me." 30
I gave him fifty cents so he could refill his coffee and returned to my table to write. So... was I entertaining an angel or calming a schizophrenic? 31
It’s all in the way you look at it.32
Jenna Joslyn33
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 10 of 10
-
I really liked it! The message is clear even if it doesn't appeal to everyone. Somethings may be so unimportant for us and for others mean everything.
A very good write, no doubt about that!
Thanks for your entry!
Mari
-
Superlative
Oh wow, this was so very good. I was looking for something exactly like this to complete today. I think I'm going to past this in my little journal thingy so I can read it whenever I'm haveing a bad day, your such a talented writer and please, keep writing! -
I like this piece..not normally what I read, but I liked it nonetheless. Society and God, decisions, indecisions..all on one page
I liked this a lot, it really struck me. Thank you for writing this.
-
Wow this was so cool. And the bible says that he will come as a thief in the night, and no one shall know when. How silly of people who think they can prepare for the comming of God and think that they will not be surprised. This story gave me goosebumps and even a smile at the end. You can find God everywhere even in people that seem to be odd. lol
-
Somnus, whatsinaname, You are very correct in saying that the message doen't appeal to a lot of people. (like a knife cuts through warm butter) is a direct quote from this homeless man I usually refer to as the sock guy. It was so strange that my friend was telling me about God, while I listened on sceptically and out of nowhere, this guy shows up and starts spouting everything that I have recorded above.
He is the one that moved me to accept Jesus.
I carry a pair of new socks in my purse everywhere I go just in case a homeless person happens along asking for change. I give them change, but nothing brightens their face like a pair of new socks.
The story above, is absolutely, one hundred percent true. People don't like looking into the faces of exposed nerves of society because it makes them uncomfortable and it's easier to ignore. But I only know what I experience and I know I heard God's voice that day.
Still, Thanks for the comments
and Lupus, is this a bit more contemporary, free verse, and society critiques for you than my last goofy attempt.
I mean that to be funny
Absinthe -
The message appealed to me and It looks as if people are not too comfortable with the message considering the number of hits and the comments it has receeved.It strikes too close and it makes you uncomfortable I guess or it may be just that spirituality is not fashionable.Thank you for sharing this through the featured box otherwise I may not have come across it at all.Best wishes for a happy New year.
-
there's a bunch of wisdom sprinkled throughout this. I liked the candid little "I do that"s.
-
good poem, again im not too big on the spirituality deal
Like a knife cuts through warm butter
(never write that in a poem, ever)
So... was I entertaining an angel or calming a schizophrenic?
It’s all in the way you look at it.
(that i liked)
im sorry but the spirituality was really infused in it and for me took away a bunch from the poem, nice anyways though. good luck. -
sweet
Very moving...it had a lot of meaning to it! i liked it alot keep up the great work!! -
applaud
Thank you so much for this write! This is a good way to begin a morning reading a piece such as this. very moving piece indeed. I
it because there is soo much of your write here that really rings true. Hopefully people can see what I see and gain some insight like I have so far today!!!! Thank you very much for this write, it has made me think alot. Take care of yourself and I hope you have much more things to share with everyone so they can learn something especially when in need. Always ~Star
Adding your comment:
1 - 10 of 10
