Kenora, ON: July 15th 2017
Up and down, up and down. The hills of Ontario seem never ending as we venture deeper into the woods of this rugged province. I can feel my heart beating faster as I push against the pedals of my bike, forcing my body to keep a consistent pace. I can hear Matt and Stephen breathing heavily behind me, fighting their way up the hill. Up ahead I can see the hill leveling off. With all my might I push myself to the top of the hill, and as I catch my breath my eyes see a wonderful sight. A great wooden sign that reads “Kenora, Lake of the Woods”.
“Woo! We made it!” Stephen shouts.
We are rewarded with a long downhill into the town. I lean back slightly into a relaxed state as I allow gravity to take over. My heart beats fast in my chest as my bicycle accelerates down the steep embankment and the warm wind rushes past my face. The sweet smell of pine fills my lungs. A sensation that can only be experienced on a bicycle. About halfway down the hill, the thick treeline suddenly parts to reveal a beautiful lake, the rays of sun peaking through the clouds and glittering off the surface of the waters. As we enter into the town at the bottom of the hill we slow our pace, looking for our favorite safe haven. This heavenly place called Tim Horton’s has everything a traveler could ever want; air conditioning, cold caffeinated beverages, and free Wifi. Turning down one of the side streets I suddenly hear a voice cry out,
“Hey, can you help me?”
It was a young woman. Her clothes were ragged and she crawled on her hands and knees towards the the side of the road. I wasn’t sure at first if she was talking to us, but there was no one else around. It felt inconvenient to stop, but we made a U-turn and cycled back towards her. Unsure of what we should do.
“I’m so hot. Do you have any water?” She askes.
Matt offers his water bottle. She reaches out for it, but her hand is unsteady. I start to worry that she might have heat exhaustion when a man suddenly comes up behind her.
“I’m so sorry for bothering you”, he says. “My wife and I are hitchhikers. It looks like we drank too much alcohol today and not enough water.”
He chuckles, but I can see embarrassment in his eyes.
“Thank you so much for your help.”
He takes the water bottle from Matt and gives it to his wife. I’m surprised when the woman doesn’t drink it right away, but instead she attempts to pour the water into her own water bottle before drinking.
“You can just drink from my bottle,” Matt says. “I don’t mind.”
“She does that because she thinks she’s contaminated,” the man explains.
He bends down and steadies her fragile hand.
“You’re not contaminated,” he reassures her as he helps to pour the water into her bottle. Then he pours the remaining water onto her head in an attempt to cool her down. I’m moved by his compassion towards her.
“You must really love her,” I comment.
“Yes, I do. We’ve been together for eight years now.”
His name is Everett and his wife’s name is Claudia. They were on their way to a park in Kenora where the community was hosting a free BBQ for the homeless.
They hadn’t eaten anything today so I reach into my bag and pull out two granola bars and hand it to them. I also reach into my bag and hand them a $25 Tim Horton’s gift card. The safe haven for travelers.
“Wow, are you sure?” He askes me.
“Yes, we love you and want to bless you with a meal. Can we pray for you?”
Together on the narrow shoulder of 5th avenue, we lift Claudia and Everett up to the Lord, we bless them and pray for them. And after the prayer Everett raises his head with a smile on his face and peace in his eyes.
“I feel like the words ‘thank you’ cannot express the gratitude in my heart,” he says before shaking Stephen’s hand.
Claudia also reaches out towards me to shake my hand, but instead I hug her, close and tight, as I would a family member or a close friend. I pray in my heart that she would know that in God’s eyes she’s not contaminated, she was precious and perfect in His sight.
“What planet are you guys from anyway?” Everett askes.
“Heaven!” Stephen answers with a laugh.
The scripture that comes to my mind is James 2: 15-16 “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” In this moment, I really felt like we were walking like Jesus and following his teachings. If we would have prayed for Everett and Claudia without first meeting their needs it would have been an empty prayer, without love or faith. However, we chose to share in our provision and meet their physical needs first. Then they were able to experience the full measure of Jesus’ love. Today I gave out of my excess, but I wonder if there will come a time when I will give out of my need. Like my last granola bar, or my last bit of water. Jesus promises that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, he will provide for all our needs. If so, then we shouldn’t ever need to worry about giving to others even if we feel like we have nothing left to give. Because we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and will always meet our needs. It’s true that as Christians, our home is in heaven, and all our provision and blessings come from heaven. So…
What planet are you from?