When I went to give out meals to the homeless with The Cookery back in April, we stopped under a bridge and handed lunch to the group of men and women gathered there.

When I asked if they wanted to pray, most of the group said, “Yes!” and moved into silence. When I finished the prayer, one smiling man at the back of the group popped up and said over the crowd, “You’re a blessing!”

“So are you!” I replied, so happy and feeling the blessings of the prayer in community with these men.

When I started taking prayer and meals out to the homeless on my own, at dusk or later for dinner, I started with this same group of men and women under that bridge.

They are my first stop on my route, and I know them well. Reverent and kind, gracious and willing to look out for each other, they pray with me each time I see them, and we do communion once a week. I also try to help with other issues as they come up.

Y. is the man who first popped up with that exclamation, “You’re a blessing!”

He’s a dishwasher at a popular southern-cooking restaurant, and he was temporarily laid off when the coronavirus hit. He was waiting until he could go back to work, and as soon as restaurants could go back to half-capacity, he did.

Eager to get back to work, Y. at first had to start to walk to work in the middle of the night to be there at 6:00 a.m., and when he worked double shifts, he would stay overnight by work because he didn’t have enough time to travel back and forth.

He would always leave word that he wouldn’t need a meal that night if that was the case, so as not to waste food that someone else could have.

He loves sweets, and I give him extra cookies when I see him there.

Y. is now moving into an apartment with a family member of his girlfriend, and he will have his place to live.

Now that he’ll have even farther to travel to work, the next step for him is to get his driver’s license reinstated and find a car.

We love you, Y.! You’re a blessing!

In Your Name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

~ Julie