A Summer Reflection Part 2

The first of these experiences  happened on partially sunny day. The house was slightly more run down than the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. The paint was beginning to chip and things had begun to fade. this is not to say that it was in a sad state of affairs, rather it was comfortable with life and was resisting any changes that could have been made to improve upon its character. This being said I was slightly uneasy as I approached the house due to a tree draping its branches over the sidewalk successfully hiding the door from the street. Normally this would not bother me except that the tree was doing an exceptional job of resisting all attempts of the sun from reaching the walkway and the front porch.

Despite the feeling in the pit of my stomach I pressed forward. The door was open. It was as dark inside as it was outside. No furniture was in sight; the only thing that I could see was a grate like structure directly opposite the open door. I couldn't even make out exactly what it was.

I rung the doorbell. I was about ready to walk away when a young man walked out of the back. He was in stark contrast to the world around him. He wore a white t-shirt and blue plaid pajama pants. He was probably in his late twenties. He wore glasses and his front teeth were slightly crooked. His skin was pale, almost as if he didn't go outside into the sun very much. I was so surprised that it took me a few minutes to recover and greet him (I honestly thought that no one lived there due to the emptiness and darkness of the front room). 

I found out that he didn't have any money and couldn't really get a book. I dropped down to a Happiness for Life. Again he said he didn't have any money. He then asked what the book was about. I said that it was "thirteen steps to get to know Christ better as a friend." He looked at the book. 

I inquired "do you have any religious background?" 

"I grew up Southern Baptist but I don't go to church anymore," he responded.

"Why? " I asked. 

"I just grew up," he answered.

The conversation continued for a little longer, though I don't remember what was said. I walked away from that house with a deep sense of sadness. 

That morning I had asked God to help me love the people. I feel that if we are really going to reach people we need to love them first. God doesn't always answer prayers the way we expected Him to. I walked away from the door not only with a sense of sadness but I felt as if I had caught a glimpse into that young man's life. On the outside the house was fine, in need of a few repairs, but all together the house was fine. The inside was another story. It was perhaps a little dusty but mainly empty and dark. As I walked away from the house the young man turned and walked back into the dark and emptiness that he had been in before.