My colleague on that recent afternoon was Jennifer Munsey, chief operations officer at Joy Junction.

I was a little frustrated. The drive from our last stop during rush hour traffic had taken much longer than I anticipated, and a wrong turn had added to the delayed arrival. (I've sometimes wondered if being directionally challenged is part of my genetic makeup!). I was concerned that individuals whom we regularly help at this stop would think we had abandoned them for the day.

However, I really shouldn't have worried. As I have said a number of times, while I don't believe in coincidences, I am a firm believer in divine appointments. That's because I deliberately place my life and schedule in the Lord's Hands before starting the day. So doing gives a coherence and purpose to the day that is otherwise notably missing. With that in mind, let me explain what happened.

As we arrived, there were several people waiting, greeting us with a big smile and even dancing - they were so happy to see us.

We started to feed the hungry crew. Some of them chose a bowl of soup or chili; others wanted sack lunches, while others opted for both. We were happy to oblige.

This was the one of a number of stops we were making on our regularly scheduled Friday outreach. We'd been at this location a while when Jennifer said some people were asking if we'd pray with them. I agreed gladly, and went over with her to where they were sitting.

As I bent down to better hear the need being expressed by one man, a young lady a few feet away exclaimed loudly, "Please pray for me as well that my soul doesn't go to hell."
As she spoke, her eyes filled up with tears. I looked at her and said, "If you've accepted Jesus as your Savior, He guarantees you a place in heaven."

She looked at me sorrowfully and proclaimed, "I know the Gospel but I'm a backslider."
At this young lady's request I prayed for her and a variety of others who gathered around. It seemed they were desperate to know there was someone or something outside themselves Who could help alleviate some of the pain of their desperate life.

I asked Jennifer to share her perspective of this amazing time. She wrote, " ... tears and hugs were shared among every one, including me. Wow, I was amazed to witness Dr. Reynalds pouring so much love into a group of complete strangers, hold their hands and plant the seed of faith into their hearts."

Jennifer wrote, "This (event) changed my life completely. I finally understood the meaning of 'Eternal Values,' a message I read last week from Our Daily Bread devotional. It read in part, 'Dear Father, teach me to give priority to the eternal values which make life worth living.'"

Afterthought

As I write these words, it's almost 10:00 pm a few days after the events described in this short article. Although the hour is late, Joy Junction is still a hive of activity.

The kitchen crew is hard at work preparing the non-perishable portions of sack lunches to be prepared on tomorrow's Lifeline of Hope outreach

Veteran staffer Harold Eansor is in the office answering phones, making sure that every soul who calls in need of shelter and comfort will get a cheery greeting.

And while the lights are out in the sleeping areas, a few latecomers are still being signed in.

And I've been working at a pretty steady pace for almost 14 hours. Caring staff who know some of the hours I regularly work encourage me to slow down a bit and rest. However, I'm unable to do so. I am "compelled" to keep sharing His Love with the homeless and let you know what a huge need there is here in Albuquerque.

The world renowned nun Mother Teresa, who spent her life helping others, was once counseled by her doctor to slow down when she got sick. She was quoted as saying " ...

I have all eternity to rest and there is still so much to do.. Life is not worth living unless it is lived for others." She understood the purpose of life and I absolutely agree with her.

As a Facebook friend said the other day, God "wants our prayers, faith, and action ... He dares us to move!"

So in addition to praying, will you "move" with us, or help us with the resources we need so we can keep moving? Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and support.