What's In A Look?
It was late Sunday night and the streets were somewhat deserted, and as we rounded the corner of Dundas and Yonge St. in Toronto a word was quickened to me on a sign. The word was "Give."
It wasn't but moments later that we came across a man who was sitting on a sidewalk. We walked over to this man and he said to me, "It's you! I've met you before! Not too long ago you gave me some money. I don't think that you even said anything to me when you gave me the money, but I will never forget your face because of the way that you looked at me. With just a look I seemed to be overwhelmed by compassion and love. I've never had anyone look at me that way before. You seemed pained by the suffering that you saw, and you seemed to be searching someplace really deep for understanding of what you saw, but it was LOVE that was expressed to me through that. REAL LOVE ... in just a look! Wow! Just that look has had a profound affect on me. And now, here you are again!"
As you can probably imagine, Rick and I were really touched to hear this. Who would think that anyone could be so profoundly affected by just a look. It is amazing to see how God reveals Himself in different ways to different people, and it's amazing to hear what happens in their hearts when He does this. What's most amazing of all though, is that the Lord desires to do this "revealing" through knuckleheads like us! Now THAT is truly amazing!
Anyway, this beloved man's name is John, and he is alone on the streets of Toronto, forsaken by most everyone, and he is dying. The doctors have given John little time left to live, but I gotta tell ya, this brother has got more joy in his heart and love for God than most church people that I meet these days. This guy is firmly and deeply connected to the Lord because the Lord is all that he's got left. I could tell you more about John and about our meeting with him, but there's probably not much need for that. Perhaps you might just pray for John. That would be really good. Please, pray for him.