I met with the supervisor of the men at Union Gospel Mission today.

We were joined by one of the men in the program that asked if I could be his mentor.  So the three of us went out to lunch to talk.

The Holy Spirit opened the hearts, and the conversations we had, and the meeting went so well.

When lunch was over, we walked back to the mission having set up a time for the next meeting between just the two of us. We all shook hands and hugged as we said our goodbyes.

I began walking back to my car when a man, who looked like a dock worker, short in stature, probably late fifties, missing every other tooth, smiled and said to me, “I’d like a hug too!” I smiled back and said sure. So the two of us, complete strangers, gave each other a hug.

He said, “That felt good!”

Now I’m not usually a huggie kind of guy, but that hug did feel good! I agreed with him, we both smiled and went our separate ways.

When I got back to my car I wondered about how warm and heartfelt that hug felt; and I couldn’t help but wonder if I just hugged an Angel unaware?

Jesus always, and I do mean always, floods me with His presence when I do anything, no matter how small, with the hurting in crisis. 

His approach to me was so unusual that it left me wondering. As I was driving home, I second guessed myself and thought, maybe I should have engaged him in conversation? But as I was walking away from him, I turned the corner and there was a young woman, probably late twenties? And she was in an alcove with her face right up towards the wall. She was talking a mile a minute and at first I thought she was on a phone but her body language was like she was tweeking, and the alcove had such a strong smell of urine I knew no one would normally stand there. The walls were painted black, symbolic of the moment. I parked right where she was, and I sat there considering what, if anything I could do. 

Experience has taught me approaching a woman in circumstances like that rarely have a good outcome. So I sat there for a minute, feeling impotent; then I drove off, heart longing to help but.......