The No Trespassing Sign
I just had to share this – with you. Yes – it is a bit long and I apologize, but God is still at work in this old world, in spite of all the powers and struggles that try to frustrate His work in and through the church. I just HAD to share! this incredible story. In my last church some of you know what a struggle it was there to do ministry. But I did it anyway despite fierce opposition.
The greatest opposition was to my reaching out to the community and especially reaching out to the families and children in the neighborhood right next door to the church. The problem was…..the neighborhood was a trailer park. But they were good, descent and loving people. Yet in my visits there – I discovered a “NO TRESPASSING” sign that had been posted on the backside of one of the trees on the church property – facing the trailer park. I tore that sign down, and to this day it remains on a shelf in my office.
My hunch is – they replaced it after I left. For they made it clear they did NOT want ‘those people’ associating with them, their children or even being on campus. And they seemed to not be ashamed to say so…..
I took them all through karate kids, but after they finished – they continued coming to church. They would ride their skateboards to church each Sunday, sit on the very front row and pay rapt attention the entire time. They were always kind, courteous and gracious. AND – they ‘knew’ they were not welcomed there by the ‘old guard’ folks. Kids rejected them as well.
So – I built a small ministry with just these dozen or so kids over the years…to the extent that it became their ritual every day to stop by my office to see me soon as the school bus dropped them off at the entrance to their neighborhood. That was their decision on their own – not mine. I just welcomed them every time I saw them, and spent time with them. The kids would all come in, sit on my couch – and gradually, one by one, they would ask me to help them review homework etc. etc. They even started bringing me their report cards when they had done well!
It got so that I had to adjust my schedule to be back at the church every day by 3:30 because they would be there – waiting on me.
I gave them all Bibles that I bought from a Gideon guy, and they held on to those each week in church. They may still have them…I don’t know.
I loved those kids dearly.
Next to my last Christmas there – they all called me up to the office one afternoon. What they had done was so touching. They found out that I did not have a DVD player. (Mostly it was because I was resisting the changeover from VHS to DVD, because I had so many tapes!) But they felt for me – so among themselves, they took up a collection, got a ride to Wal-Mart and went and bought me a DVD player for Christmas. Here these kids are, without two nickels to rub together – saving what little money they had, to buy me something that nice. I was truly touched and overcome with appreciation – because they had given me far more than a DVD player.
The ‘leader’ of the gang of kids was a talented ball player named Tyler Austin. One heck of a Baseball player. Always kind, courteous and led the other kids well. Funny – they would sit down on the front row – and if one of them still had their hat on, he would thump their shoulder and off it would come! He was like their big brother.
That same Christmas, Tyler’s grandmother came down with pneumonia – and although not a member of the church, I went to see her in the hospital. She was dying. And I’ll never forget, she thanked me over and over and over again for loving her boys and the others, and getting them involved in church. She told me that had been her prayer for years that before she died, the boys would get themselves involved in a church and come to know Jesus. (Baptized five of them, made them all members! along with their families.)
This was Christmas eve when I went to see her. She was in tears of joy, thanked me for coming, and told me that she could now rest easy, knowing that her boys were now in God’s hands. We had prayer – I thanked her for blessing me, and I went about the rest of the day getting ready for Christmas eve services.
At the 7pm service – the boys showed up as usual, all in formation. Made their way to the very front row and sat down for service. I told them I had been to see their (Tyler’s) grandmother in the hospital and that we were praying for her. But also told him that she was very ill, but was so glad he was now part of God’s family.
Tyler thanked me, teared up, and told me he knew how serious it was. He had felt torn between being with his grandmother, and being with Jesus on Christmas eve. So he decided he would do both – see Jesus at service and visit granny after church.
Unknown to me or Tyler – it was during the 7pm worship service, (with the boys in church) that his grandmother passed away. I got the notice quietly handed to me just before my sermon. So I had Tyler and boys stay afterward, and broke the news to them. Their parents wanted me to do it on their behalf as they were at the hospital.
Randy, this is a great story and I appreciate it very much. I remember coming by to visit you some years back when you were there. Maybe the next time in the area we could have lunch together.
That’s awesome! Way to go man! So excited for that Tyler Austin and his friends. Way to love those young men and care for them. Sometimes only a few in the church can be the church to the few. So glad you didn’t let those people intimidate you.
Tear down that sign!