I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. Let me explain.

Joy Junction's Kathy Sotelo and I were on our usual Friday outreach in Joy Junction's Lifeline of Hope.

During one of our stops, we met Steve (not his real name), a man we'd been helping who asked us if we would stop by an area liquor store which, he said, had been experiencing problems with the homeless, prostitutes and drug addicts.

We said we would be glad to. We've visited many places, where we've left our business cards which contain an 800 number people can call any time day or night for the homeless to get a ride to Joy Junction.

We parked by the heavily barred and fortified store, and made our way into what could be described as an alcoholics paradise. A buzzer alerted store employees to our entrance.

Kathy spoke first to the individual at the counter. She introduced us and tried to give the man, who turned out to be the business owner, our cards and a Joy Junction brochure. She explained our van service to Joy Junction and how that could help him assist individuals hanging around his store in need of shelter and other assistance.

Without hesitation, the store owner told us he didn't have a problem with the homeless. The man quickly said he would just "take a baseball bat to em."

As we were exiting the store, in complete shock, Kathy said, "His helping the people in need around here wouldn't be good for business."

Without her saying any more, I knew what Kathy meant. Like her, I suspected that this angry man was only too willing to serve the homeless when they had money to give him for the alcohol which would feed their life controlling addiction. However, when they were out of cash but every pore of their body still cried out for alcohol they were out of luck. This individual wasn't even willing to call Joy Junction.

As we walked out of the store, my mind started whirling, trying to anticipate in advance some of the questions I knew may be generated if I told this story. The main one, I suspected, would be, "Well, this man's a businessman trying to make an honest living. These people don't have to drink, right?"

Wrong! Obviously the initial choice was theirs, but who knows what circumstances these precious souls were navigating that caused them to drown their sorrows in a blurry alcoholic haze. And it didn't take very long before that initial bad choice (and who among us hasn't made a series of bad choices?) became a life-controlling addiction.

Kathy and I got back in the Lifeline of Hope and I turned the key. Nothing happened. I tried again; all that happened was a click. I guessed it was the ignition, battery or alternator.

"Oh well," I told Kathy. "The Lord has a reason for this." Admittedly, at that point I had no idea what it was. We called Robert Batrez, our staff mechanic at Joy Junction. He said he would be there as soon as he could. We settled back to wait.

Kathy and I were sitting in the Lifeline of Hope when Steve approached us. He had made his way down from the earlier location where we had seen him, and was concerned when he saw we couldn't get the Lifeline to start. As we sat there waiting for Robert to come to our assistance, I told Steve about our experience in the liquor store. He quickly confirmed the words Kathy had spoken to me a few minutes before. He said, "He (the store owner) gets them addicted, and then profits from their addictions."

We talked for a little longer until Robert arrived , and quickly tried to get under the hood to work out why the Lifeline of Hope wouldn't start. Nothing seemed to work until Steve leaned on the Lifeline of Hope. Call it a miracle or a divine intervention, but as soon as Steve touched the truck, it started!

We were once again shocked! What was it about Steve? He had insisted that we go to location to this liquor store, where we were left "stranded" to feed people, people we could not find. When we initially "broke down," he was nowhere to be seen. Then he showed up.

As soon as the Lifeline was again working, Steve, who knew the area, rounded up a variety of people in need, and we prayed with some of them as well as providing chili, soup, sack lunches and personal hygiene kits.

As I was still trying to understand what had occurred, the Lord quickly assured me that the incident wasn't about Steve; it was all about him! Jesus wanted us to encourage some discouraged folk in this terribly economically depressed part of Albuquerque. He used Steve and a temporarily disabled Lifeline of Hope to communicate His will to us.

Incidentally, we ended up feeding about 30 people, precious souls who would have otherwise gone to bed with hunger pains gnawing at their stomach that night. Thank you for making possible this amazing ongoing ministry of compassion.

Kathy Sotelo contributed to this story.