What really captures your heart? Is it sport, money, travel, sex, career or music? None of these exploits ultimately fulfils. Eventually they all dim. Often it takes a lifetime to discover this. Michael Jackson, for all his musical talents, was obviously a troubled soul. Sigmund Freud was not exactly Mr Contentment. Bill Gates worth hundreds of billions dedicates his life now to giving it away. When we reach pinnacles, either physical ones such as Mount Everest or intellectual ones like designing software systems, the journey back down is often the hardest.
There is, however, one summit that never diminishes. It cannot be fully attained and thus striving to reach its peak is a continuous adventure. The ultimate journey, life’s principal rush and the real never ending story, is in seeking GOD. If you truly know that God exists, why would anything else matter? Say to yourself in capital letters - THERE IS A GOD, and then finish it off with an exclamation mark. When that sinks in life is never the same.
When I venture out as a Street Chaplain I am seeking God. There is no other reason I walk Perth’s entertainment district from 9pm to 4am as a volunteer than to see God at work. Oh I could boast and say “I do it because I love people” or “I just want to help the people out there” or even “I like being the Good Samaritan”. However, I would be lying through my teeth. I go out there to see God. Just as God tells me to – Seek and you will find (God).
Last Saturday God was at work as usual. As I put my thoughts down on imaginary paper created by Mr Gates I realise I have something I would not swap his billions for. I write about someone I love and know, not about philosophical speculation, or a character from ancient antiquity or even theological conjecture. Rather, I write about someone I know. He is God and He is alive and well. One does need to repent though (yes He still calls for that one), destroy the idols in the heart like Josiah did (which render us spiritually blind) and then turn to Him. He then gives you eyes to see and ears to hear. You no longer ponder “does God really exist?” you know He does, because you see Him everywhere.
When I arrived at the Police Station it was discovered the Chaplain backpacks had not been handed in. We therefore resorted to the backup backpack. I was impressed such existed. We also had to utilise the second set of Chaplain Mobiles. As an ex soldier, I admire strategic plans, especially those that pay attention to detail. As the saying goes ‘the devil is in the detail’, when you forget the details - the Devil doesn’t!
I thought we better ring the Operations Room and give them the alternate numbers (they had the original mobile numbers). Something made me think ‘I bet we will be called tonight and if they have the wrong number we will miss the opportunity of helping the police’. After ringing we headed out. It was a dark wet night. I really liked it. Rain doesn’t bother me – it isn’t acid, its water. I doubt Jesus would have decided not to go to the Cross if it was raining. Rain, hail or shine the Street Chaplains should be on the streets. Just as the Police are.
An hour later I heard the mobile in my pocket ringing. The police do not call every week. In fact, it is only just starting to occur after three years of relationship building. So when the phone did ring (and with - ‘I bet they will call’ - still fresh in my mind) I felt like Batman answering the Bat phone. I also knew straight away that God was at work. God knew they would ring later. Yes GOD .The Sergeant at the other end told us that a young drunken woman needed help. She was with two officers; however, our help would be appreciated. I said no problem and he told me the street address. We then headed off in a hurry in the completely wrong direction. Five minutes later the bat phone rang again. “Where are you?” This time I decided to get directions and managed to swallow my pride. What happened next stunned me.
As we turned back I saw a familiar hat amongst the crowd. This hat was so unique that you could not miss it. I knew it because only a few days earlier the owner of the hat had come to a mid week dinner at one of the churches I go to. It was his first time at church. And here he was standing in Northbridge. I walked up to him and his two friends who also had been at the dinner. Rough lads in their mid twenties, but amazingly they had come to this suburban church for a meal! Everyone had commented on his hat! I shook their hands, they were sincerely happy to see me.
I walked off and realised that God’s perfect timing was at work. A minute later and they would have been inside the club. We were almost running now to where the police were, I could literally sense God’s Spirit at work.
I stood in awe for a brief moment, I realised the officer was alerting me to God’s sign hanging around the young girl’s neck. The officers departed, they were thankful for our intervention. We stayed with her, we prayed internally and she calmed somewhat. Her dad arrived after another ten minutes and she rushed into his arms. She turned and looked back at us. I thought for a moment she was going to give me a kiss. Her glance said it all. Her tear soaked eyes voiced the words, “thank you”. She was no more than seventeen, a pretty drunk girl, alone and afraid. An easy target for predators.
God orchestrated all of it - from beginning to end. The prompting of the initial call to the Operations room to provide the new mobile number. The telephone call at just the right moment. Even the wrong turn to ‘bump’ into the church lads. The pinnacle being the spiritually aware police officer noticing the cross around the girl’s neck.
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