Journal Day 1 - A contrast in meeting new people

I woke up feeling refreshed and less anxious about leaving. A Doctor, two teachers, retired AF General, Engineer, retired Police Officer and my two sons prayed for me the previous evening. These prayers connected me with God at a time I really needed to be. The peace from their prayers and long hug from my wife in the morning and I was out the door.



So here I am starting my adventure driving down the 101 in almost bumper to bumper traffic. Sudenlt there is a guy in a Mercedes behind me trying to scrape the chrome off his bumper on the back of my car. He is ticked..scowling, raising his fist and yelling.... He speeds to my left and is trying to get me to roll down my window. I just waived at him..he waived back.. but I used all my fingers... He was motioing for me to get closer to the truck in front of me... You have picture this guy...my age huge arms, balding and screaming at me to move 20 feet ahead...there was no place to go. Then he pulls in front and stops..for a minute I thought this was going to get very interesting... but then he just pulled around te truck and passed him in the mering lane... I'm sure he was trying to get somewhere quick..and he lost it...



Several hours go by and I'm looking for Chevron station in New Mexico outside of Santa Rosa. I cant find one but I do see a rest area and stop for a break. As I go into the restroom there is a rather large gentelman sitting outside with long red hair, a long beard and very dirty. Ashamedley I tried to avoid eye contact. Let's be honest..I'm not the only one who does that, to ignore the fact we have people who live outside like that. But, I do look at him and he smiles and says good day.

As I am leaving the restoom Mr. long hair is now standing so I have to look at him to get to my car. He very politely asks me if I would talk to him. He is about 6' 3" and not an ounce under 300 lbs. Okay so I am on a trip to police training, in an unmarked police car, not wanting to do anything police like (ashamed again). He introduces himself as Tracy and politely explains he has been on the road for 10 days, hasn't eaten and is trying to get out of New Mexico to Oklahoma.

Okay, inside my first reaction is to throw him a few dollars and walk away... I hate that feeling... I mean after all he smelled like he had been on the road for 10 days and my COP skepticism started to kick in... Suddenly Tracy tells me he wants to find a Church and get some help... It then kicked into my mind when you help someone down and out you never if your helping them or an Angel.

Tracy had a very soft spirit about him so I asked all my COP questions to make sure he really wasn't Manson's nephew and put Tracy's bag of "stuff", his chair and water into the car and headed east. Tracy spoke slow and probably has other issues that make him a lot younger than his 42 years. He apologized for smelling said he was really hungry and politely asked to call me by my first name.

During the next 20-30 minutes we talked Tracy told me some sad stories. He was really really glad to get out of Alburqueque.. I asked him why and he said, "may I speak freely?" (by the way I told him I was a COP before I put him in the car...) with a very sincere tone of a 13 year old... I told him of course. He said the Albquerque Police don't take kindly to street people and harrass them, kids stole his belongings and he got bit by a dog...

Tracy is from Nevada and wouldn't tell me how many years he has been on the street but I'm sure it's been awhile. I asked him why he was heading to Oklahome and he told me he had a friend named Wayne he was going to stay with. Then he started asking questions about my phone like does it have nationwide coverage :).. I knew where this was going.. so I called Wayne and put him on speakerphone. It was a polite conversation and wayne clearly was concerned about his friend and thanked me for getting him off the road.

Tracy and I were heading to Santa Rosa and I was thinking how long I would have him as a passenger? I was praying too. Tracy mentioned several times he wnats to find a church and I asked him if he was a believer and he said he beleived in God and that Jesus died for our sins... There ya go.. he gets it...

I turned on my navigation and searched for Churches in Santa Rosa. Several came up... It was going on 5:00PM and the first several didn't answer. Then God connected me with someone from theh United Methodist Church in Santa Rosa. I explained the situation about Tracy and told them he needed a room, food and a shower :). The gentleman was hesitant at first but then told me to bring him to the Church.

Tracy was ecstatic.. He kept telling me he was feeling really good. Then he politely asked me for a Dr. Pepper. I stopped and got him a 32 oz D.P. I arrived at the Church and it's like all the doors were opening. I was told to drive to a hotel where the Church Secretary was paying for a room. So off to the hotel where they are expecting us to. Tracy was beyond happy and thankful that I was helping him. As he was getting into his room I asked him f wanted some McDonalds and he politely asked for a #3, supersize with a Dr. Peppr and two apple pies :) I said sure Tracy you got it.

I was back in 10 minutes with the supersize #3 and was going to ask Tracy if it was okay if I prayed for him. He took his food and said...would like to pray for me? I said sure Tracy... I prayed for him and will continue to do so. I left Tracy in the Hotel and headed back on my trip.

I started thinking about the contrast between the angry Mercedes man and Tracy? One would appear to have everything but wasn't happy. One had only God and was happy. It sure puts things in perspective. I thank God for bringing Tracy into my life .... So when you get a chance pray for Tracy...and the angry Mercedes man...