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{SFTH} *Lost, Then Found* 3/26/01
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We have a wonderful story from friend Susan Wedweward to start our
week off! I would consider it a personal favor if you took the time to
encourage her by sending an e-mail and letting her know how her
story touched you.
What I love most about running SFTH is the fact that so many of
you write to and encourage the authors who so graciously share
their stories with us. May this practice continue and may SFTH
continue to be an encouraging and inspirational wave that washes
over thousands of people each day!
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Lost, Then Found
By Susan Wedeward
I was only 20 years old at the time and had been living in a Chicago suburb for
about two years. The lighting store that I managed was situated on a busy
street on the north side of the city. Traffic, noise, people, a great deal of
coming and going. An individual could get lost here, unnoticed. An individual
could try to hide here. Hide from their problems but still try to blend in with
society. My story is about such a person.
One cold, autumn day, a woman came into our store and asked to see the
manager. She started by telling me that she almost didn't come into the store
at all, but felt she must to register her complaint. She said there was an awful,
smelly, unkempt man panhandling outside my door and that I had better get
him to leave if I wanted her to shop in the store ever again. I went outside to
confront the man, frightened to think of what I might find. He was standing
against the small wall between my store and the store next to us. That way,
neither store manager could see him and send him on his way. He looked
every bit the character that the woman had described to me. Roughed up
and unshaven, dirty and disheveled in every way. As people would walk by
him, he would ask for money. He looked harmless and dejected, standing
bent, fighting the cold. Even so, I approached him at a safe distance and told
him that he was scaring away customers and that he would have to go
somewhere else. He looked at me very sadly. It was a look that said I was
just like everybody else, cold and heartless. He picked up his bag of
belongings, worked his way across the busy street and was gone.
As a store manager, I suppose you have to do things like that. But as a
person who follows God's teachings, I felt like a complete failure. I should
have done something for him, but what? He was someone's son or brother
or father, who had come on some hard times, and all I did was pass him and
his problems on to someone else. From there on I vowed, that if something
like this ever happened again, I would make sure I follow my heart and do the
right thing. But will I ever get a second chance to help out this poor fellow?
The very next day, I helped my employees tidy up the store and lock up after
the days' business. As I took the garbage out the back door, I saw him again.
He was digging in our dumpster, looking for something to eat. I told him to
please get down. As he crawled out of the trash, I noticed he had some of
my half-eaten sandwich stuffed in his pocket. As he was about to leave, I
told him that I would buy him lunch today, but with one condition. He would
have to buy the lunch, bring it back to the store and show it to me. That way
he would prove to me that he had bought food and nothing else. With a big
smile he readily agreed. In about 10 minutes, he came back with a sandwich
and a cup of coffee which he showed me through the front store window.
For the next couple of weeks, I bought lunch for this homeless man. As
time went by, we had many conversations. I found out that he was in his
early 50's, was married and had kids. I never did find out what it was that
had driven him into this predicament. The mere mention of 'the problem'
caused him great sadness. I asked him were he slept at night and how dealt
with the cold weather. He said he would ride the bus or train all night.
Sometimes he would sit in a booth at an all night diner. Each night would
be a different place so as not to "wear out my welcome". Sometimes he would
go to a shelter, but these places were almost always full, especially in winter.
But, if someone complained about him and the police picked him up, they
would take him to a shelter. In that case, they would have to make room for him.
As it grew colder, in order to keep this man from freezing, I was forced to
do just that. At least 4 times I had to call the police so he would be picked
up. The officers seemed to be real familiar with this game and always took
him to the shelter with a sly smile. But, since this was no solution, I
started calling some of the large, established aid organizations. Between the
two that I talked to, one said he was too old for help and the other said he
was too young. Who knew there were age restrictions on being homeless! I
then called several churches and finally found one a few blocks away that
would help him.
I didn't hear from the man for several months. The church volunteer who
picked him up said they would do their best. Winter turned to spring. One
day, a man entered my store and approached me. He smiled and stared at
me, but I had no idea who he was. Finally he said, "Do you remember me?"
I said no. "I'm the man you took to lunch!" I couldn't believe it! He had
obviously changed for the better. He had new clothes that he showed me,
front and back. I couldn't help but cry. He said he had a job at the church as
their handyman and he was truly getting his life back together. We talked for
a short while then he said he had to go. He then thanked me warmly, then
turned and walked out, worked his way across the busy street and was gone.
I think of this man from Berwyn, Illinois from time to time. How he was once lost
and now found again. We all get a little lost from time to time. When strikes,
we all question are faith and beliefs.
May our faith and family be strong enough to overcome any adversity.
Susan Wedeward
Bweeds@juno.com
Send Susan an email and let her know what you thought of her story!
Susan is happily married to husband, Bill, and they live in Madison, Wisconsin.
They have a daughter Rachel and son Weston, both being dearly loved and
greatly pampered. She has developed a passion for children's literature and
short stories from reading books to the kids every night. She and her husband
have written several stories about their life experiences, both good and bad,
and hope to share them with you. For any questions or comments you can
E-mail her at Bweeds@juno.com.
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From the SFTH E-mail Box!
I saw your interview this past Friday on the Wisdom TV station and can't
wait to get your book, Straight From the Heart. You are an inspiration to
all of us. Thank you so much.
Darlene
*******
Michael,
I made it a point to see your interview yesterday evening. I had to
watch it on the computer but I was impressed. I am thankful for
young men who take a stand on morality and I can see that God
is using you. I pray that you will touch many lives through your
work and that God will continue to bless you.
Robbie Mize
Cullman, Alabama
*********
Thank you for a very touching and informative site. I have just
joined and haven't even had time to check it all out, but what
I've touched upon so far has been wonderful! This will be a
wonderful place to visit.
Betty Schneiter
blsyorkies@centurytel.net
******
I have only viewed a short amount of your website and have
found it to be as comfortable as a lawnchair in the shade on
a hot afternoon. It really does the soul good. I loved the story
about the "Victor Five". Keep up the good work.
Glenda Longe
glelonge@tdstelme.net
********
I enjoyed your website and your stories. Keep up the good work.
Connor & Caleb are beautiful children.
In Christ,
Debbie Snodgrass
2are1@bellsouth.net
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Thought For The Day:
"Those who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try
nothing and succeed."
Verse for the Day:
"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to
him it is sin."
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Never trust a dog to watch your food."
Parent's Thought For The Day:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER : "Again with the stovepipe hat? Can't you
just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"If you lose self-control everything will fall. You cannot function physically or
mentally or in any other way unless your emotions are under control."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Tonight's forecast: dark. Continuing dark throughout the night and turning to
widely scattered light in the morning." -- George Carlin
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REQUESTS:
From: emh67@hotmail.com (Montie Hickey)
Please pray for my mom. She had a test done the other day and they found a
spot that they are concerned might be cancer. She is scared and I am
scared. Often times these test come out to be nothing, but the fear is
there that something might be wrong. Please pray for God's strength.
Thank you, Montie
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_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
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