A Green Tie Affair

There’s no such thing as a normal dinner at the house on Cockerell Dr. The thing about having an open door is that anyone can walk in; and when you’ve been praying that they will, they often do.

So let me set the scene for you. At the head of the table is Dan, a homeless guy who has been living under the I-20 bridge. At the foot of the table is Randy, a college professor. On the sides of the table are four kids who don’t know what they’re doing (that’s us) but have been praying to a God who definitely does. Already the testimonies of what God has done represented at that table were enormous.

First there is the incredible way that God brought the four of us together, which is another story for another time. Let it suffice to say that though none of us were sure exactly what we were looking for, we knew we had found it when, about a year ago, God began to bring together what is now the Allelon community. Then he provided Randy to walk with us and share in what God is doing in us. Like I said, we are a bunch of kids that don’t know what we’re doing, but God is watching out for us. He knew we needed someone older and wiser to walk with us along this road.

Then there is the testimony of how God brought Dan to our table. Earlier that day, Josh was praying that God would lead him to His treasure. You can read a more complete account of that treasure hunt here, but basically God led him to Dan. Josh offered to give Dan the money that he had on him, but Dan refused. Instead, Dan pulled out a dollar bill – this was about 10% of his life savings at the time – and made a dollar-bill bow tie, which he gave to Josh. Josh figures this was about the most expensive gift he had ever received. Anyways, Josh invited him to dinner, and we picked him up at about six o’clock.

As Randy and I finished up with the cooking, Aaron, Josh, and Ben were visiting with Dan. Dan insisted on making another dollar bill bowtie, which we gratefully accepted. It now sits on the marker holder of our prayer request board, a reminder to pray for Dan and for generous hearts.

Dinner was cooked, and there we were, sitting around a skillet of stir-fry and a bowl of rice. As we were serving up, Dan was sharing a funny experience he had while hitchhiking. At the same time, he was loading up his plate of stir-fry with a hot siracha sauce. By the end of the meal, we would all be enjoying a laugh with Dan as sweat poured from his face. He said, over and over, “That shit is mean right there. Fo’ shore. I swear it is. That ain’t for no boy. That stuff is real mean.”

Anyone who has been homeless will tell you that one of the hardest things about it for a lot of people is having no one to talk to you. People pass by with averted gaze, or worse with a look of disgust. Others are eager to talk or preach, but uninterested in listening.

As Dan sat at the head of our table, stroking his epic beard and wiping siracha-induced perspiration from his brow, the one gift we had to give was our ears. The funny thing is, we were considerably more blessed by the stories Dan shared with us than he could ever be by our food or money. He needed someone to listen, and we needed to hear his stories and see his smile. I guess it could be said that in some way, we were made for Dan and he for us. Of course the truth is we are all made for each other, and the key to life is finding out how we fit together with the Lord as our center and guide.

I would have been content with that guest list, already in awe of the ways that God works; but God was throwing this party, and other invitations had been sent out long before we even knew each other or moved into Allelon house.

The Saturday before, Josh had been having coffee with Kyle when the phone rang. The number was listed as Withheld, and at first Josh wasn’t going to answer it; but then he looked up at Kyle, and they both felt like he was supposed to answer the phone. On the other end of the line was Matt. He was trying to reach someone named James. Josh said he didn’t know anyone by that name and that Matt must have the wrong number. Then, in a moment of divine inspiration, he asked Matt, “Would you like to get coffee with me sometime?”

At first, Matt’s response was exactly what you would expect. “Who are you?” After all, it isn’t every day that a wrong number asks you to coffee. But after a moment, Matt agreed to meet up with Josh sometime. They were going to grab lunch on Monday, but something came up. So, instead, Josh asked him to dinner at the house.

When Matt showed up to the bizarre scene that evening, it was like he was coming home. That night, for that meal, that table was God’s table, so Matt really was coming to the table of his Father. He walked in, and it was like God had brought him there to share his testimony. Even before getting food, he launched into an incredible account of God’s love and faithfulness. It involved everything from drug addiction to being chased by the Mexican Mafia. All the time, God was pursuing Matt. Finally, when Matt was at his lowest point, in a rehab facility in San Angelo, God revealed himself to Matt in a vision. That day, he received Christ as his savior. Now he is working to start a non-profit in Abilene to help people recovering from all sorts of addictions.

It would be impossible to share all the ways that God poured out His love on us that evening. It was a green-tie affair – where the currency of the empire was made into silly bowties and the currency of the Kingdom was dealt out in abundance. The Spirit of the Lord was thick in that room, filling our hearts with love and awe at the power of our God. There was a lot of laughter, and a lot of encouragement. Relationships were built that none of us could ever have imagined. Most of all, God showed again just how faithful He is to pour out His spirit on those who seek His face.

I remember sitting at that retro, green table, with the evening sun streaming in through the blinds, and thinking to myself that I was having true communion for the first time in my life.