My life changed in an evening…

After I picked up the 15 passenger van from the rental car agency and was heading towards downtown Jackson, I began to feel a little discomfort. Not from fear, but from not knowing what to expect or what I was about to see.

I don’t go downtown very much at all. In fact, I rarely go down there. I didn’t even know how to get to Gateway Rescue Mission until 30 minutes before I left when I looked it up on google maps. The plan: pick up the homeless from Gateway, the Opportunity Center, and other shelters and take them out to Pinelake Church to eat Christmas dinner and watch the final dress rehearsal of the Christmas program.

As I turned onto S. Gallatin street the reality of what the world really looks like slapped me right in the face.  Several people were huddled together in different groups and standing on the sidewalk around the area where Gateway is located.  I had heard that there were homeless and knew they were downtown, but had never seen it with my own eyes.  I didn’t know it at the time, but my transformation had begun.

When I pulled into Gateway my heart was pounding (still haven’t figured out why.)  Some of the other guys who volunteered to help with transportation were there and we walked inside.  Several men were checking in and getting there bed assignment for the night.  Immediately many of the individuals who were staying there came up to greet us.  All of them were smiling and genuinely pleased to see us.

We started to load up the vans and it wasn’t until I started to get to know the 4 men who were in my van at that time that my guard came down, and with it my heart rate.  One of the guys said something that I still can’t get out of my head.  He said, “A good meal will stick with you for a couple of days.”  Wow!  I’ve never had to view a meal that way. My eyes were beginning to open, and so was my heart.

Once we had everyone from Gateway that wanted to go we headed over to the Opportunity Center.  The Opportunity Center is a place where people can gather and wait for employers to come by who need laborers for the day.  They also have a telephone and computer with internet for them to use.  But it’s only open during the day, and there are no beds there.

As we pulled up, there must have been 70-80 people waiting for us to arrive.  They literally engulfed the van and almost made it impossible for me to pull all the way into the parking lot.  They quickly filled the van, as well as the other vans in the convoy, and we were ready to go.

Before we left I prayed with those in my van for a safe journey and that the evening would be a blessing to them.  They all suggested 95.5FM as the radio station of choice, and with the soul gospel blaring out of the speakers we started our trek down Lakeland Drive at the peak of rush hour traffic.  After about a 40 minute van rocking, hand clapping and gospel singing drive, we arrived at Pinelake.  Everyone piled out of the van and went inside to warm their bellies with Christmas dinner.

While they were eating I had the opportunity to get to know some of the men and learn more about them as individuals.  I sat with one gentleman that had only recently found himself without a place to live.  He uses a cane to assist him with an injured knee and suffers from back and neck pain.  But if not for the limp and the cane, you wouldn’t have known he was suffering at all.  His spirit was one of thankfulness and gratitude. It was an absolute pleasure sitting there and becoming acquainted with him.

Shortly after that the program started and for the next two hours I had the privilege of seeing the worries of the world be washed from their faces and replaced with happiness and joy.

On the trip back toward downtown everyone was talking about how blessed they were to be there and to get a hot meal.  Can you imagine?! They felt blessed!  They were happy to be alive, and not one of them was complaining about what tomorrow might bring.  One of them in the seat behind me leaned forward and said, “I love you Clint.”  I was speechless, and even a little choked up.  As I dropped them off back at Gateway and another shelter in west Jackson, everyone of them thanked me and I even got a few hugs.

I went that night to help serve and to be an influence in what ever small way I could on the lives of those I would encounter.  The truth is, they were a much bigger influence on me.  My life literally changed in an evening.  I will never be the same and I thank God for ushering me into the service of those less fortunate.

In the season we find ourselves it is easy to get caught up in the things that we perceive to be a hassle… the lines at the department stores, the traffic on County Line Rd., how we’re going handle the in-laws, or what ever minor issue we blow out proportion.  Now, for me, what I already have seems like too much.

I am forever grateful for the blessings in my life and my prayer for you is that if given the opportunity to serve, you will cease it and be blessed as much as I was in my experience.

With humble sincerity,

Clint Barr