My Homeless Valentine - 2010

I had written this after a memorable experience some years ago, when I was single and Valentine's Days seemed a nonevent for me. Ironically, this was only a few months before my wife and I would start dating. But it's a touching story, and I am reviving it now as we approach Valentine's Day. I have never been able to find him, but might try again now....
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I really thought my Valentine’s Day would be spent alone.
I hadn’t made any grandiose plans, didn’t invest in any Valentine’s cards or candy-and I was ok with that. Truly. Gone are the days where I felt the ‘need’ to have a Valentine, just for the sake of having one. I am at the point now, where if I have a Valentine, I want it to be a sincere one. In fact, I was very content spending the evening treating my self to some things I love to do-coffee, movies and if I got around to it, I thought maybe I could finally buy that pair of running shoes I’d been meaning to pick up to ensure my New Year’s resolutions wouldn’t merely become another statistic. However, not only did I not spend it alone, I found myself being used to accomplish some minor philanthropy.
After spending an awesome afternoon with a couple of my guys, eating pizza, and watching the fascinating bi-athalon on the Winter Olympics, I decided rather than go home and mope around my apartment, I would do something nice for myself. I had a free movie pass and a Starbucks card from Christmas waiting to be used, and luckily I found a theater that was still running ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (clearly I am very behind…). As far as I was concerned, my night was set. Downtown Burbank would be where I was to make my scene.
Upon arriving in Burbank, I headed to Starbucks, and surprised myself when I decided to put my gift card towards the purchase of a Green Tea rather than coffee. I then headed to the AMC inside the mall, which for those of you who don’t know Burbank, it’s the kind of theater that makes you feel like you’re overdue for catching a blockbuster movie by seeing it there. My spirits are dampened only slightly when, after getting my ticket, I am warned to finish my tea before going in as apparently they actually enforce the ‘no outside food or drink’ policy. Bummer, at least it was free. As I stood there attempting to ‘chug’ my tea I ran into a lovely married couple from my church, Caleb and Jill. I tell them its been sometime since I’ve seen them and when they tell me they’ve moved churches, I realize why. We discover we’re going to the same movie but as its Valentine’s Day I have no intention of becoming the third wheel, so I get in line to buy some candy and tell them I’ll see them after the movie in an effort to avoid being pitied-plus I really wanted some Butterfinger Bites. They go on ahead, but as I’m walking to the theater I run into Caleb coming back out to purchase a snack, and he insists that I join them and that Jill was already saving me a seat. So I surrendered to their kindness, and deep down was quite thankful I wouldn’t be alone after all. After the movie (which I thought kicked ass by the way…) and some great conversation Caleb, Jill & I parted ways. Since by this time any stores with running shoes had closed I decided it best to retrieve my laptop from my car and head back to Starbucks. This time, it was no surprise at all when I ordered a Cappuccino.
I set up camp at a table and with headphones on, I proceeded to engage in my nightly ritual of ‘Twitter-booking’ while also reviewing my week’s schedule and to do’s. A little later, my public solitude was interrupted by a rather disheveled looking older man with a green ball cap, red USC polo shirt, and missing his two front lower teeth-his breath, clearly sponsored by Jack Daniels. At first I thought he was panhandling, but since I had no cash on hand to give him, I was prepared to buy him a cup of coffee-which he clearly needed a little more at the moment…. However, after showing me a sweaty wad of money and credit cards, I realized he wasn’t exactly broke, and he informed me he wasn’t asking for money but merely trying to get ‘home’ and had no idea where he was or how he got there. Basically, he was completely hammered. I told him I could help him find a bus route if he could just remember where he started, at which he proceeded to make himself comfortable in the chair across from me, exclaiming and repeating “I’m just so tired.” . Now, I gotta admit, I was a bit nervous at this, but I really felt for the guy. So I thought, maybe he just needs someone to listen to him for a moment, so I did. He asked me where he was, and I told him, ‘Burbank’. I felt at this point, I should just try to get as many details as possible from him so if I could help him find his way home I would.
I found out his name was James. His eyes looked sad, and I noticed his old arms were covered in tattoo sleeves. As we talked I discovered he was in fact homeless and had been for six years. I tried to get some ID on him but it was hard enough to piece together the conversation, so I just patiently listened as he talked, stopping every now and then to ask my name again, and where he was. After a while, it was becoming clear to me that I was becoming more responsible for him, and the question of how I could really help him began to grow in my head. I eventually did buy him that cup of coffee and asked the baristas if they had seen him before and if there were any homeless shelter’s close I could take him too, they said no and were in no position to offer me any advice as what to do with him either. When I returned to the table, he was clearly starting to have the shakes, and it was also clear a cup of coffee was not going to help him. He asked if I knew any places to get a drink, and offers to buy me one if I get him there, and while my instincts were to not enable him,  I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself wondering if this is what Christ meant by going the ‘extra mile’ with someone? Whatever it was I knew James needed a friend, and I had decided to let him by me a drink.
As we walked to a local bar we passed a couple of cops. It was tempting to bring them into the situation, as I thought they might be able to help him better than I, but I felt like that might be the last thing James needed. After sharing a small Budweiser I realized it was getting late and I needed to figure out how to get James where he needed to be. My only thought was the Union Rescue Mission downtown, but the thought of taking him there at midnight was far from appealing, yet it was becoming clear that may be exactly what I would have to do. He only had thirteen dollars and credit cards to get him where he needed to be (and quite frankly I wasn’t even sure they were usable), so it almost seemed cruel at this point to turn him over to a taxi or a bus. So with James in tow, we headed to downtown.
Thankfully, as we approached the city he seemed to be remembering that was where he had started out—two days ago. As we talk in the car he seems to sober up some and is admitting he needs to quit drinking so he doesn’t end up in Burbank again, and I figure while its not exactly an intervention, at least its a start…. He seems to recognize all sorts of places downtown, and as we pass The Midnight Mission instructs me to drop him off around San Pedro and 6th, and for those that don’t know downtown LA this is essentially, Skid Row. As we got out of the car James asked if I had an extra sweater or coat and even before he had asked I was hoping I did. I went to my trunk and was so pleased to find the brand new black hoodie a friend had given me, which was a little big for me, but fit James perfectly. Despite my own reservations about leaving him in that area of town, I realized there wasn’t much more I could do for him at this point, and James seemed to feel as though he had asked enough of me. I took a moment to pray for him, and gave him a hug. As James walked off into the night, I got back in my car and began to drive home, my head, spinning from all that had occurred; and, I couldn’t help but laugh a little as I realized that my ‘Valentine’ had essentially turned out to be a curious, homeless man named James. I don’t think there is any way I could have predicted how my night ended, and furthermore how much this whole experience changed me. Last month our pastor taught a series called ‘I Heart LA’ in which we learned that LA was the homeless capital of the world; and, essentially challenged all of us to use whatever was in our hand to begin changing this a little bit at a time. While I couldn’t really offer a roof for James, I realized what I could offer was the currency of my time and friendship. Now I’ll be the first to admit that this is probably not how we should handle all homeless situations, nor do I advocate driving around Skid Row at midnight…but I guess all I’m really trying to say is just keep your heart open to opportunities for God to use you even if it may not be the most comfortable of situations.
Before we parted ways, James asked me to come down and find him and visit him sometime on Skid Row, and you know, I think I just might….