~ 25th Day ~
San Diego...Ocean's Edge...One is Enough...Write on...Carlsbad.
Not much happened today.
Sometimes it's the quality not the quantity within a day.
I crawled out from my backseat bed and went into Walmart to buy fruit and brush my teeth. As I was scrubbing my canines, the little girl next to me thought this was interesting, and before her eyes popped out any further, her mother shooed her along. At least she was learning that brushing your teeth was important, no matter where you do it.
The laptop was pulled out as my protein shake and first banana of the day were eaten. I wrote in the parking lot for 2 hours. Glad Walmarts don't charge for parking spaces and time spent in them. After my eyes were ready to see a different scene other than a screen, I put Tumbler in drive to head downtown. I was so excited for the San Diego mission field!
I must have unknowingly chosen to enter the heart of S.D. by way of the rougher part of town. Don't remember the name of the street, but there were homeless people walking, squatting, and in some parts, lining the sidewalks on both sides. Oh, I so wanted to park and start walking here, but honestly, it wasn't safe... or so I felt. I contemplated throwing out granola bars and rocks out my passenger side window, but was afraid of hitting someone. This wouldn't have been seen as an "act of love" so I threw out as much prayer to the beautiful people I passed by.
After driving several blocks and passing under a bridge that looked similar to the one I had lived under in Santa Barbara, I couldn't resist the urge any longer. Found a (safe) parking spot a block down, left my backpack but grabbed my box of strawberries, and headed back towards the bridge. People's shopping carts piled high, bags of belongings, and chairs that belonged to nobody but everybody sat in them, lined the underpass' wide sidewalk. When I arrived, only 2 men were seen amidst the evidence of many living there. I walked right up to them and extended the strawberries. "Either of you hungry?" The one standing said, "Oooo... strawberries are my favorite fruit!" He grabbed several and most people would have told him to keep the whole box, for his hands were past dirty. The other man say he wasn't hungry... probably 'cause he was holding a crack pipe down by his side. "You ain't no cop are ya? You're arms are super in shape, like you've had training or some'tin." I told him I wasn't but don't know if he was convinced. Asking the friendlier one a few questions about where he was from and how long he'd been living under the bridge, he said "Born here. I've been on the streets for over 15yrs." The other man didn't give any background and was preoccupied with the pipe he now was packing. I shook the man's hand with strawberry juice now joining the other undetermined remnants, and flashed the other guy a peace sign. Though I really wanted to take a picture of the guys (and whole view of the bridge) I opted to keep walking, for snapping a photo might have made them more suspicious of me being an undercover officer.
The street's prevalence of homeless people lessened as we got closer to the heart of the city. My heart was torn between staying on the outskirts of town (where the visibly broken were) and going to the streets near the ocean (where the people are visible put together, but many still lost and broken). I opted for the ocean... part selfishly, 'cause this would be the first time seeing it on this trip. I got a little choked up when I leaned over the railing, my eyes seeing the beauty I had lost sight of when I lived near the ocean. But time was ticking, and I knew there was someone nearby whom I would lay my eyes upon and find beautiful in a different way.
It took awhile, but after walking for 40min, I saw him. He was laying on his stomach on a grassy knoll. It was next to the busy part of the boardwalk, but he was in his own little world up there. I gave him the "family nod" (homeless acknowledgement) and took a few more steps past him. That undeniable poke in my spirit told me that I was to approach him... now and not later. I walked up the little hill and stood in front of him. His chin was resting on a tiny basketball so I asked him if he had already played today or was going to shoot some hoops later. "Already played and just resting for bit." I then sat down and rested there with him for the next hour... and we conversed about life, love and the pursuit of joy instead of happiness. He asked me all sorts of questions and each answer seemed to bring up another question. I had pulled out a blank rock and began to scribe one for him while we continued talking. The theme throughout that hour was "Pressing Through" so that is what I put on the rock for Derrick. When I handed it to him, he said "Dude, this is the dopest thing someone has ever given me. But the coolest part is what you put on the back of this rock... 'cause God's the only One who I really can cling to out here." Second time today that I got choked up. I layed down next to him and took our picture. Derrick has had a hard life, and I prayed that he accepted Jesus as His personal Savior that day.
It was now past noon and remembering the importance of food, I walked and prayed for another hour before my stomach's reminding became more pronounced. Back in Tumbler, we drove to a Jack in the Box joint and got a grilled chicken salad. I wrote a day post in the parking lot while satisfying my stomach. Made a few phone calls and answered built up texts. Before I knew it, 3 hours had passed. Though the streets were beckoning my backpack, my next mission field was only across the street... to a Carl's Jr. joint and to talk with the guy working the register. Just a brief time to speak life and encouragement into him while ordering a small avocado burrito (which was simply to give reason for striking up a conversation) and then going back out to the parking lot. More phone calls... one to my world's best friend, Chesetta, and the other to my sweet friend, Karen, who lives in Santa Barbara and where I'll be staying many of the nights while there (there will be more posts on her in the near future).
Still in San Diego, I felt God leading me to move on and travel northward. "But I don't want to leave yet! I only handed out one rock and left one on a tree to be found by someone a later time. Shouldn't I stay so more people can hear about the True Rock?" Silence. But it was a loud silence... one that spoke louder than an audible voice. So Tumbler and I moved on. We journeyed to Calsbad, CA... and here we remained for the night.
Grateful for the assurity of being pretty confident that a Walmart could be found in this city, we sighed at the familiar yellow star. It wasn't late in the evening, but the drive had taken some time as The Coastal Highway (Hwy 1) was taken for a more scenic route. Once parked in an area of the lot that was further away from the lot's big lights, my laptop was pulled out once more. I was still trying to catch up on day posts (I'm beginning to think I may not ever catch up to the day I'm on). But I found it hard to concentrate on writing words, due to the words I was hearing being written on my heart. Admittedly, I was still a little salty from God prematurely pulling me from the San Diego mission field (at least this was the way I perceived it). God was now ready to give me insight on His always perfect purpose and plans.
Have you ever had a day when, at the end of it, you feel like nothing really got done? You might have had a list that only got 1 or 2 things crossed off; your kids had several unexpected practices or playdates, one got sick or an injury that led to a doctor date; your co-worker asked if you could stay late at work to cover him/her; or you simply were lazy and putzed around the house instead of doing what you needed to do. Come up with your own "unproductive" or "not productive enough" day... we've all had them. But while for some of those days, laziness was the culprit, other days might we not have seen how what "little" we did, was actually quite big... dare I say, all we were supposed to do?
This was what God was whispering in my spirit tonight. "What you did today, my beloved child, was enough. It was what I called you to do, what I purposed for you, and what I had planned all along." Often, satan wants us to believe that we should have done more. He doesn't want us to trust that God can use our "little" and make it enough... 'cause He is a BIG GOD!!!
Now that doesn't mean we don't make lists, don't try to live every day to it's fullest, and strive to be productive in the waking hours of the day. That God will use our "less" and make it "more" isn't an excuse to purposefully do as little as possible. Though when our days don't go as (we) planned, trust and believe that the Creator of that day knows the full plan... more than we can see. Praise God for what you were able to do, and give God glory for what He will do with what He allowed you to do. Praise is great fertilizer to the seeds that were planted... even those we may not have known we planted.
Every day is a bank of 24hrs... the investment is how we spend our time.
Some days are full of deposits and we see the interest made on them.
Other days, we feel like we squandered the currency of those hours.
God can turn our seemingly small deposits into far bigger returns.
But this requires acceptance and trusting in Him to do the work.
Praise God for being the manager of our time and resources.
After all, it's His "list" that is the most important not ours.
Your "Derrick" in your day is more than enough.
One seed planted in a day can be multiplied.
Anything more are the bonus deposits.
Plant. Water. Fertilize. Pray.
Praise for each day.
God is enough.
~Unshakable Peace, Praise and Purpose~
cling to the Rock
Psalm 18:1-2
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