I parked at the little resting spot by the sculpture. At least, I thought, this was a good opportunity for me to get out and read about the history of the local area. I never knew Route 66 once came in via the McKinley Bridge, or that before the bridge was there this road was made of wood planks leading to a river ferry boat. I learned that, before it was a bridge for vehicles, rails formed a way for trains to cross the river, and since the area streets so easily flood, the people felt it only best to name the town Venice, after the one in Italy.
The whole time I was still questioning why God wanted me to stop, but a little picnic shelter on the grounds was a perfect spot to play the ukulele while taking in the sounds of the traffic, trains, and the voices of people from the neighborhood behind the line of surrounding tree line.
It was when I started to sing Reign In Us that a man on a bicycle rode up and began to listen. After parking and walking over to throw away some trash, he sat at the table and said, "Keep playing! I'm loving this!" Because of that invitation I did not feel bad for stopping. When I reached the end of the song, I knew it was time to introduce myself and meet who God had brought into my life.
Tonight, I met Pat. Pat rides his bike from Granite City to his corner in St Louis every day to hold his sign and ask for donations, which helps purchase the medication he needs for a major sinus infection that he has been battling with for months, and doctors are not able to spot the cause of. He rooms with a local guy for a place to sleep, and his sister drives for the Metro Bus service. Pat wears a wristband that says, "Tagged for Jesus", and engraved on the inside is a scripture half wore off. Pat knows the scripture from Numbers by heart, because it is one filled with encouragement that God knows the plans He has for us, and this promise of comfort has gotten him through some pretty tough days.
I had the honor of praying for Pat, but the cool part was Pat's response to my prayer. When I finished with my "Amen", Pat, with his eyes still closed, tapped the table and said, "my turn."
In his prayer, Pat said, "God, You know I try to talk with you every day, but I know I need to draw closer to You. Thank you for bringing Tim into my life today to inspire me to remember that, and bless him so that he can live in peace and have plenty to live on. Amen."
God, I cannot thank You enough for where You have been taking me. Thank You for Your Love and provision!
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