A most unusual day. Where else? Long Beach.

It was a bright, warm morning as we pulled up to the Long Beach sanctuary, but I was already on my toes. You see, I had just taught on the strategy of the evil one whose desire it is to generally deceive and wreak havoc in people’s lives. The devil does not like to be revealed, so I figured there might be some static at my community Bible/prayer meeting. Sure enough.

We had a healthy-size group and frankly, we were all glad to be together. For a few minutes, I even felt like a proud mama. But then…as one of our own, Dexter, shared his story—how he had come out of a life of drugs, trafficking, and other destructive behaviors, and into
freedom in Christ, another fellow blurted something out, and rudely
interrupted him. Trying to go on, Dexter shared how the LA Mission had rescued him. The chaplain taught him about disciplined living and becoming a man of prayer. He
shared how Paul’s struggle in Romans 7 really resonated with
him—because it was his struggle, too—actually I think we can all relate
to it:

‘I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do. . . now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin
living in me that does it.’ Ah, the struggle.

I asked him to read the Scripture aloud as we all followed along in our Bibles, but would you know it, the fellow blurted out something else—in
the middle of the Scripture reading. Folks around the room
were annoyed, and the person sitting next to him, tried to ‘shush’ him,
telling him we were reading the sacred Scripture, but then he just got
angry, and rebuffed the ‘shusher’. The shusher tried again, but had finally had it, and got up and left the building. ‘Dexter, would you read that verse again?’ I said, in my best school teacher voice and presence, ‘this is very important Scripture.’ Eventually, Dexter finished the Scripture and his testimony of a God who rescues.

Then we turned our attentions to the lesson at hand—the ways of the enemy and the armor that God has given us—when the fellow blurted out a
comment again that was off subject. I took a deep breath,
tried to dignify his comment and said, ‘let me get through this now.’
Heatedly, he said, ‘But you tell me to wait, and then I won’t remember
my comment! You can’t do that to me!’ By now, I was convinced that the evil one was using this guy to disrupt our entire time with the Lord and each other. He was successful, despite my awareness, and constant redirection. I
watched as people looked from him to me and back again, sorta like
watching the tennis ball back and forth across the net at Wimbledon. Oh, man--it was a valuable lesson, but it was in danger of getting totally derailed. We did get through it, despite the constant disruption. When our time was finished, I talked of community growing pains and learning to work through ‘these sorts of things’.

As my partners in ministry, Barb and the Duke of Earl, (yes, the Duke of Earl!) rode with me down to the Village to deliver our cache of clothing, the Duke let me have it. ‘You have to let them go! When he walked out, you wanted to go after him … people need to either GROW or GO. You weren’t tough enough on the ‘disrupter’; you were too nice to him! Make it clear that he cannot do that!’ I swallowed hard … My goodness, I felt like I had already weathered a storm at the sanctuary, and now the Duke was setting me straight!

Clearly, I had some things to think about. Even though I have led many discussion groups, large and small, over 16 years or so—this was and has been a whole new breed. We are a group comprised primarily of recovering addicts, alcoholics, mentally ill, city-wise street people. No two weeks are the same, and though I love being with these friends, I get stretched to my uttermost trying to best lead them. ‘Lead them to what?’ you might ask. Toward wholeness in Jesus Christ.Barb, the Duke and I decided to go by infamous Lincoln Park to see if we might be able to pull off a prayer meeting in the park. I pulled up to a ‘no stopping anytime’ curb in front of the park, and called two police officers over to my car. Ready to say, ‘can’t you read the sign, Lady?’ I disarmed him by saying, ‘do you think I could hold a prayer meeting in the park?’ With that question, he leaned in the car and said, ‘who are you?’ From there, Officer Seminara and I struck up a conversation, (talking over Barb the whole time). ‘Turns out, Officer Seminara is a Christian
who specifically asked to be assigned to work with Long Beach’s
homeless population, especially in and around the crime-ridden park. I believe that conversation began a friendship between two kindred spirits that will last into eternity. ‘Seems that Officer Joe has a heart for the same folk I do!

He stepped back from the car and said, ‘hey, uh, I have this woman who just showed up in the park from L.A. ‘You see her under that tree right there—will you come and talk to her—see if you can help her?’ Instantly, I knew he was testing me. He wanted to see if this Orange County blonde in an Escalade was serious or not. ‘Roll up your windows, lock your doors,’ he said over his shoulder; I guess the ‘no stopping anytime’ sign didn’t matter too much now. So, I went up to the lady with Officer Joe, and he inquired about her welfare, if she needed anything, and then introduced me. I did what I do. ‘Hi, I’m Christine. Your name is Sandra?’ Yes, a woman of about 60 answered through broken and missing teeth, wondering who and what I was all about. ‘Do you mind if I pray for you, today?’ So, I prayed for her safety and wellbeing, and Officer Joe and I told her about some options for places to stay the night.

Oh, there was so much more that was said—so much more that God orchestrated on that Lincoln Park sidewalk, but one thing for sure, he let me know I am right on track, right on time, serving the street people of Long Beach. I can’t wait to see where we are going next! That is the grand adventure with God. Look around you—where might you join him—to impact your world? Just get started, and he will do the rest; God loves a willing heart!

Step out....go ahead.