A few weeks ago, Earl, Boyd, and I decided to drive to Laguna Beach and hang out with some homeless guys. We first went to Crave, then grabbed some food, then had a few conversations with other Cravers, then went to Earls house to get supplies, then.... Anyway, by the time we had gotten to Laguna Beach, it was about 2 in the morning. We parked at a gas station and bought a few sandwiches and waters from the clerk.
The three of us crossed the street toward the water and prayed a quick prayer. We prayed that God would give us just one homeless person to talk to. That we would be able to meet him and show him that he's loved. We were ready to minister! Earl, Boyd, and I made our way South, hoping to run into a homeless guy. The three of us walked for awhile with no site of anyone. We kept walking. We had some great conversations about God and what He had been doing in our lives. Earl, who I've known for years, finally opened up a bit and shared his testimony. It was amazing.
We continued to walk, seeing a few cars drive by every once in awhile, but sparingly. It was very peaceful, just us the the sound of the waves off in the distance. Still, no one. We came to a point where we could see far down the road. A glance from Earl said it all. If we're going to trust God, we're going to keep walking.
All in all, we walked a good 4 miles down PCH and didn't run into anyone. We finally decided to cross the street and head back on the other side of the road. Maybe we would run into someone then. The conversations of three friends got deeper and we became closer. Still, no homeless people.
We could see our car off in the distance. Our journey was coming to an end and we hadn't completed our mission. Needless to say, we were slightly disappointed. We began to talk about why God would have us all that way and never give us the chance to talk to a homeless person. "Faith," Earl said. We walk regardless of reward. With a thought like that, it made the 8 miles worth it, but God wasn't done with us.
As we crossed the street to get to the gas station, there he was. Clothed in a big, dirty jacket with torn jeans and a beat up, black backpack sitting on his side. We couldn't believe it. He sat on a planter, about 10 feet from our car, staring at the ground with a ragged, old beard. He was old, thin, and frail.
Earl and Boyd walked to the car as I walked toward him (we didn't want to scare him with all three of us). As I walked closer, I said, "We walked 8 miles to see you." He looked up and said, "Huh?"
His name was Cliff. Quite and reserved. I offered him a sandwich with a bottle of water, but he refused. We sat for a few minutes in silence as I thought of what to say. I asked how long he had been living on the streets and he gave the vague answer, "A long time". Very quite guy. After a few more minutes of very light conversation, I asked him if he needed prayer for anything. He said he wanted a house. I smiled and told him that I would pray for that. Very quite guy. After a few more minutes, we said our byes and got in the car. I left the sandwich and water next to Cliff and as we drove off, I saw him eat.
Eight miles of trusting God. I learned a lot that night. I still pray for that house.
