It's been a tough day

It's been one of those days you wish never happened. We received word this afternoon that a long-time homeless friend died. Then we found out another homeless friend is in critical condition in a local hospital following a motorcycle accident.

Rico was a sweet soul who never overcame the loss of his daughter. Oh, how he loved her. He talked about her often, then tears filled his eyes. A parent should never have to bury a child. He did. His heart never mended.

He loved Jesus. Rico had his faults. We all do. But he would tell you quickly that he loved Jesus and he knew Jesus loved him. Through his struggles, Jesus was the one constant in his life. He also knew we loved him, and that Kody Kirchhoff of The Harbor loved him. Kody is the one who called me to deliver the bad news. We don't know the reason he died, but with all of the health problems he battled, I would guess it was health related.

As far as we know, Rico had no other family. His parents had long passed, and after his daughter died there was nobody else. He died alone in his tent. Nobody should die alone in a tent. Sure, Rico made his own decisions, and they weren't always the right ones. He knew that. He never complained to me about living in a tent. Even so, nobody should die alone in a tent.

Kody also told me the news about our homeless friend in critical care. I'll call her Olive. That's not her real name. Jeff Peacock of The Ark was on his way to visit her when Kody called. Martha and I were not far behind him.

An accident left Olive with a broken wrist and broken back. There is a chance she may be paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors aren't sure yet. She has movement in her hands and arms, which is positive.

Martha and I entered her room and it brought back painful memories of another friend who was in CCU a year ago. His was cancer-related, not due to an accident. Olive looked horrible. The usual jovial young woman who bounced around laid in a hospital bed with tubes down her throat.

We stood beside her and said we were going to pray for her. Her hand moved under the sheet. She knew we were there and wanted to hold our hands. We prayed. She was trying to tell us something, but with no way to communicate we had no idea what she was trying to say.

Our hearts are broken. It's not the first time in these 19 years of ministry, but it's not often we receive a double dose of bad news the same day. Through it all, we know God is in control. He is sovereign. We know He will bring good out of all this bad.

How do we know? We've seen Him do it countless times. God is true to His Word. He tells us in Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose."

Please keep this young woman in your prayers, and please pray for all of the other Ricos who are out there alone in tents. May they know the love of Jesus and allow Him to bring them up and out of their situations. He can. He will. "He makes all things work together for good."