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3.16.2014Just another Sunday at Freedom Friends ChurchTravis was 25 blocks south when he needed to be 10 blocks north. There was not a thing familiar and he knew he was lost. He saw the OPEN sign and walked right in. We had just finished gratitudes when the first petition walked in the door. "I'm sorry to barge in, but I'm looking for north 13th street and I think this is south 13th, I'm all turned around and don't know how to get where I'm goin." He was skinny, sweaty, strung out, and talking Deep South. His ball cap was backwards, his skin was a mess and his belt was pulled tight holding up the too big pants. We continued worship with attention to giving directions. He asked for water, water was given. He was a little frantic at the idea of being so off course. The directions we gave him were clearly not making much sense to him. He thanked us for the directions and the drink and went out to retrace his many steps. We were a literal handful of women. I looked at the pastor and said "This is safe, right? I'm gonna drive him." She said "Go." (that's how we do discernment at FFC) I followed him out. "Son!" He turned. "You clean and sober this morning?" "Yes, Ma 'am! three whole days!" "You got anything like a weapon on you?" "No Ma 'am! I came up here to get away from all that!" "Okay, let's get my car - I'll take you where you are going" "Oh! Thank-you, Ma 'am! I 'priciate this, I do!" He was lately of the State of Mississippi. Came to a cousin's house to start over. I told him my name, and it immediately became Miss Peggy. He was talkin a mile a minute. "The house numbers kept gettin bigger - that shoulda been my clue. Somebody told me that golden man there on the capital was solid gold - No? - plate huh? I figured as much. Say - Was that a church meeting I just walked into? Yes? Well, what kinda church IS that?" I told him we were Quakers. "We don't have much of that down home, Baptists mostly. But Miss Peggy, If you were willing to leave church to help a lost man find his way, I guess y'all must be some kinda Christians!" We found his cousin's house. He God blessed me up one side and down the other. "Say a prayer for me, when you get back, ok?" We did.
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