Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: FAMILY (01/21/16)
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TITLE: Mr. Johnny | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Esposito
01/26/16 -
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It has a revolving door that pushes you into these incredible smells, and the buzz inside is just as loud as the neon is outside.
This is a place where the homeless can feel welcome and come in and have a meal. A place where a single mom can come in empty handed and walk out with a box full of food. This is a place where you can get your fix of daily bread whether you need it or not.
A place where you will see Gods work being done on earth as it is in heaven. A place that makes you feel like you’re part of the family and that you’re home.
I am here this morning having breakfast with Jim. I met Jim this past Thanksgiving. I was sitting outside of the empty building where I’ve been staying. I will never forget the night our paths crossed. It is truly a blessing from God.
Sitting outside on the steps to my building a black Cadillac Escalade pulls up at the stop light. There is a child in the back seat drawing smiley faces on the fogged up window. Through her finger art she sees me and rolls down her window.
Sitting there with a lime green shirt, reindeer antlers and smiling with her two front teeth missing she says to me, “Hey mister, do you know how to catch snowflakes on your tongue? Here watch it’s easy. If you can get one they taste like Christmas.”
“They taste like Christmas” I’m no musician, but there’s a song in there somewhere.
The light turned green and as the tail lights got smaller and smaller, the child yells out, “Happy Thanksgiving!!!” Her well wishes on that cold night made me just a little bit warmer.
Jim, his daughter Dory and the rest of his family have taken me under their wing. Actually I should say wings because they are all angels and have become my saving grace.
Dory calls me Mr. Johnny. Jim calls Dory his little Mother Teresa. And I call Jim my friend. Even though we have only known each other for a couple of months they have made me part of their family.
Jim invited me to breakfast because he wanted to discuss a few things. Jim is freelance writer and owns a publishing company. A week ago Jim took me to lunch and mentioned how he wanted to write a book about my life.
Jim pauses for a moment, grabs both my hands and stares straight into my eyes and says,
“You are family now and I want to help you. The others that are homeless that you consider family are now part of our family too and I want to help change your lives.
We talked last week about writing your life story. With your permission I think that the book sales will sky rocket. Stores will not be able to keep the book in stock. All the proceeds from the book will go back into the community. I want nothing from this, just your story.
You’re family now and family takes care of family. I want to surround with a few writers. I want them to follow you around for a couple of days. I want you to share everything with them.
And I mean everything. Where you sleep and how you kept warm. Your favorite dumpsters where you scavenged from. All of your daily routines. Everything!
My hope and prayer is that every penny from his book, your story, will create a safe haven for all of the homeless in the city. My thought is to renovate an old building and turn it into a modern up to date homeless facility.
My vision is to see a floor for men. A floor for women and a floor for families. Floors with individual rooms with bathrooms and showers. A building with a modern full scale kitchen. A laundry room and community pantry. Possibly even having both a well and learning center.”
“That sounds great, but a very tall order. Can you pull this off?”
“I don’t know. So Sunday I will lay this before the Lords feet. Matthew 19:29 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
“So together we will pray, and wait. Amen.”
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God bless~
I stand in agreement with you that the project will come forth and God will direct the finance, help, materials and everything needed to fulfil this dream. God bless.