On our first night in New Orleans [Monday] we visited the New Orleans Rescue Mission. For $5 a night, a person can get a bed, a meal, and a shower. Part of staying at the Mission is attending evening service. On Monday night we (Living Water) were the evening service. As we do typically when we arrive, we began meeting and talking with some of the residents. I sat down and began a conversation with a man named Dennis. After some small talk about what we should experience in New Orleans, Dennis mentioned that he used to work off-shore on a boat. He then proceeded to tell me how he went from employed and married to unemployed with no family.
He said to me, “I don’t know what it is but I know that God is mad at me.” When I asked why he thought so, he began to tell me his story. On a car ride some months back, Dennis’ wife and parents were killed in a car wreck. In one night he lost all three. After that, he began to drink and that lead to the eventual loss of his job, which led to his homelessness. “So I’ve got anger towards God. When I see Him I’ve got a bone to pick with Him. I told that to one preacher and he said ‘oh man you don’t want to fight with God, He’ll win.’ I said I know but I still need to take some things up with Him.”
Dennis, as many would, was having a hard time understanding why the sudden death of his family occurred, and why to him. At this point, he believed it was because God was mad at him.
Soon our worship program began so we stopped talking, but I scribbled down a the following passages for Dennis to hand to him at the end of the service. I mentioned that he might feel like he has a few things in common with Job. And so we left the Rescue Mission.
• Job 1-3 & 40-42
• Matthew 5:45
This picture was taken Thursday afternoon. We had a cancellation at a detention center so we went to a homeless outreach where the serve lunch. I was one of the last to walk in and I saw Dennis and Greg Dreas (on of our leaders) speaking. Dennis and Greg had prayed at the mission for a job and room to stay in. Turns out that Dennis was offered a position by a man who owned several rental properties, which Dennis was to do handyman work. He also found a affordable room to rent nearby. Next Dennis said that he had read those verses and they really helped. He is already seeing his anger towards God leave and is recognizing that God provides when we ask Him. It was a highlight of our trip, seeing a man who was mad at God on Monday, and now on Thursday, is giving Him thanks for providing for him and realizing that God did not cause his family to die to send him a message.
