It was late afternoon and I was happy to be heading home after work. As I road my bike through the underpass I saw an elderly woman sleeping on the curb. I heard the Lord say, “Stop. Go back and check on her.” I stopped, hesitating for many reasons but I could not deny that the Holy Spirit had spoken. Back I went and my relationship with Ann began. We spoke easily and although she avoided questions about her living situation, she took up my offer to buy her a sandwich. After I returned with food, we chatted more and I learned of her faith in Jesus. After other inquiries about her needs she assured me that she was fine. We said goodbye and I rode home.
I saw her often after that and each time I would stop and check in. She always remembered my name, inquired how I was doing and said she was praying for me. Sometimes she would accept my offers of help, other times she’d decline saying she was fine. She never asked for anything and it was evident she was not on drugs or alcohol. I was baffled and often thought, “Lord she knows you. Why is she on the street? What does she need to get off the street? How am I supposed to help? Why won’t she take my help?” With so many questions and few answers I sought advice from a social worker who asked, “Does she want to get off the street or would that just make you feel better?” Great question. That question taught me to wait: to wait on the Lord, to wait on Ann and in the mean time to just love her.
Over the years, we have sat bus benches or in Denny’s together, sharing hamburgers, French fries and simple conversation. I have invited her to my home, which eventually she took me up on and we’d visit in my dining room. She met some of my friends and co-workers, whom she remembered by name and always asked about. Sporadically she’d take up my invitations to church or BBQ’s, but it was always on her terms, revealing little about herself, always assuring me that she’d be fine. We’d hug, I’d tell her I loved her and one day she said she loved me too.
Over time she gradually began to reveal more and more about herself. In her mid 60’s she wound up homeless. Soon all her important papers were stolen and for the next 14 years she wandered the streets. She learned to trust no one but the Lord, and by her testimony he took care of her in miraculous ways. Ten years into our friendship, Ann showed up at my home and said she wanted to get off the street. That was the first time she ever said that. Praise the Lord! My kind roommates and I opened our home and she moved in.
The next few months were a whirlwind of activity as a friend and I entered the maze of social services. The lines and mounds of paperwork were overwhelming but the Lord worked miracles. We helped her get the medical attention she needed, her California ID and Social Security Card. We were able to secure SSI – the Federal funds for the aged, blind and disabled with little or no income. It was a time consuming, document-loaded process, but we saw God working throughout. At every turn we met kind workers that seemed like God’s angels in what felt like an impossible system to navigate.
I saw and felt God’s shalom coming over Ann. The weight of fear and the constant effort to survive on the streets was slowly being lifted off of her. She had a safe, predictable place to rest her head with people who loved her. Her things were secure, her paperwork and income were getting restored. It was evident she no longer felt like a burden to others. It was a beautiful thing to see and experience the peace alongside her.
Ann told me of her sister that lived up north, and after a phone call, a visit was planed. Meanwhile Ann and I began the search for affordable housing. It was a discouraging search as place after place informed us of no vacancies or waiting lists that were years long. Ann slowly accepted the fact that housing in LA might not be a possibility. But God had another plan. Her visit with her sister went better than any of us thought and not long after, it resulted in an invitation for Ann to come live with her. Ann accepted.
I am so grateful for God’s grace that allowed me to be a part of his work in Ann’s life. I have learned about the daunting world of social services and wonder how anyone gets off the streets without the help of others. Ann was unable to do this alone. It was a privilege to walk alongside her, to love her and watch her be restored and experience God’s shalom. We stay in touch over the phone, and she tells me that she is fine. This time I believe it.
