Brandon

God allowed me to cross paths with Brandon this past weekend.  Brandon is the guy who reminds me that whatever my pain is, there is someone out there with more pain than me and more pain than I want to come my way.  His parents were busted for cooking meth when he was about 13.  He bounced between families for awhile.  He's been in jail, two brothers are in jail, one brother is handicapped, the mother is now married to a not-so-nice guy and his wife had just kicked him out because he doesn't have a job and can't find work right now.  He also has some self-esteem issues because of what he's lived through and he has Trichotillomania.  He was trying to get somewhere to stay and didn't have the money to buy gas to get there.  A friend of mine gave him gas money and another friend got to share some experiences and words from God and I got to be in the presence of one of God's hurting children.  I got a reminder of how blessed I am.  I got a reminder that the suffering I experience may be bad, may be the worst thing I've ever known but it is temporary.  I've been knocked down and landed on my feet.  Brandon has been knocked down and kicked while he was still down.  I think he wants a relationship with God but he can't see how to get there today because he's fighting to survive, to keep a family together, to take care of a brother no one else wants to, to find a job so he can eat - problems I cannot comprehend.


I was blessed to be able to pray with Brandon, to ask God to fill him with peace, to allow him to see what God has in store for him and to ask God to put healing into Brandon's life surrounding him with God's love and anyone else that God can lead his way that will help Brandon see that he is a child, worthy to be called a son of God just as he is.


I am thankful to have met Brandon and I do hope God will cross our paths again and allow me to be some light into his life. 


Oh Lord, please allow me to glorify you and to be light to those who are hurting, who are lost, who are wandering, who are being beaten down by this world and the pain that it holds.  Work through me so I may say your words and bring hope to someone who is or has lost it.


Grace and peace to you.