Chippewa Valley Street Ministry Journal - March 6, 2022
Random Thoughts, Reflections
Part 1
Angels out of the Night

One late night in February, I was contacted and asked to be on the lookout for a specific homeless person who may be sleeping in one of the downtown parks. I was asked to check and see if that person had proper clothing and if they needed a sleeping bag and blankets to stay warm with. As I began to enter the park with my van, the front tires dropped into some deep snow and I wasn't able to go forward or back because of it. I spent around 15 minutes trying to find my way out but to no avail. Feeling frustrated and figuring it would be a long night, I then heard this gentle voice alongside my van asking if she and her friend could be of any help. There stood two young teenage women inquiring about what they could do to help me. They told me they would go to the front of the van and then told me to put it in reverse and they started pushing, but the vehicle wouldn't move. One of the young women then suggested I take out my front seat floor mats and put them underneath the front tires. As soon as the mats came out of the vehicle, they each took a side of the van and started digging the snow out from around the tires and then sticking the mats in as far as they could under the tires. They did all of this with their bare hands and I noticed one of them was wearing Crocs, a rubberized shoe that exposed her feet to the snow. For a moment, I thought I was watching two trained mechanics at a major car race do what they were paid to do.  In around 10 minutes these young saints had me back on the street. I got out of my vehicle and thanked them profusely for helping out, and just that quickly they were back into the night. I then sat in my vehicle for 20 minutes or so and tried to process what just happened. Maybe a visit from young Angels, I'm not sure, but I did witness young people performing at their very best and being there for a neighbor in need. It gives me fresh hope for the world.

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Thanks, Angels wherever you are!

 

Mike – Street Pastor for CVSM