It was a warm Friday evening. The Gateway team had arrived by 5:30pm to a halfway house off Airline Drive where about 25 men on parole live. These guys are each working to get their lives back on track. We came to start setting up for an outdoor event. This was our first time to ever attend Airline House. The guys living there all were so helpful in getting the truck and van unloaded as we set up the tables and chairs and sound equipment. The food went to the kitchen and one of our gatekeepers (volunteers) starting prepping. When it was time to start plating the delicious chicken and sausage jambalaya one of our gatekeeper chefs had prepared, I noticed several of the men were standing back, not wanting to come to the table. One was in a wheelchair, one on a cane, one man on his porch with his dog, and several others just checking us out not sure who these people were that had just invaded their parking lot. I went to the man on the porch and asked him if he was hungry.
“No Ma’am, thank you.”
“Are you sure? I’m happy to bring you a plate. You can save it for later.”
“No, but thank you. I will just stay right here on my porch.”
“What’s your name?”
“My name is Timothy. I’m not even on parole. I just live here because I’m on disability and it’s cheap rent.”
He repeated himself a few times and he made it clear that he did not want to eat.
“Well, Timothy, we are all gathered at the tables, and we would love to meet you, so if you change your mind please come join us.”
About 15 minutes later, he flagged me down
“Miss! I’ll take some food now if you don’t mind.”
So, I brought Timothy a plate and he began to listen from his small patio, with his little dog companion by his side, to the music and message as Joey began. His patio was set apart from the parking lot event.
Afterwards, he calls me to his porch.
“Excuse me, Ma’am…This God, this Jesus, your husband talks and sings about…I want him in my life. I need him in my life.”
“Hold on one second Timothy…”
I walk over to Joey who is helping unplug cables as we tear down, and I motion for him to come.
Joey walks over to Timothy and meets him. He shares the gospel with Timothy who then began opening up to him.
“I am broken, disabled, and I need God in my life.”
Joey spends the next 20 minutes on the porch with him and they pray to receive Christ. Joey asked him, “Timothy, do you have someone in your life that you need to forgive?”
“Yes”
“Who would that be?”
“I need to forgive myself”
The Bible says in both Matthew 18 and Luke 15 the parable of the 99. Jesus taught about leaving the 99 for the one.
He continued…“I call out to God all the time and he never answers me. I don’t know if he is really there, please tell God my name is Timothy.”
Joey replied, “God knows your name, Timothy. He loves you because He sent me here tonight to tell you.”
