We were a team of 12, 6 vehicles, one of them a truck, loaded with thousands of cans of food, hundreds of blankets, sweaters, and other clothing supplies.  Our mission: to distribute the food and clothes to the hungry and cold men and women living on the streets of Skid Row.  The following encounter is only a small subset, another deeply personal experience, of an entire evening, 3 hours spent in the dark, damp corners of downtown LA.  We all have our unique stories to tell.  This is my account.

It was around 10:30pm, second to our last stop of the night, we had pulled over to the left side of a one-way street.  By this hour all of our blankets were gone.  The only items of clothing left in the trunk of my car were mostly women's clothes.  Anush and Ned had distributed all the items from their car, so they were helping me sort out and find good fits from the articles of clothing left in my trunk.  I can't recall specifics - Anush must have asked me for something and at her request I was digging for materials from the rear seat of my car.  When I emerged back out from the car there was already a woman standing next to Anush behind the car.  She was so excited to find good matches that when I got near her she gave me a warm hug and kept blessing us for coming.  Very strangely when she gave me that hug, I felt like I was the one who needed that.  It felt so good to receive it.  So we continued looking through the pile until she had found the things she needed.  We then told her to go down by the truck for food.

Then I remembered we still had rain ponchos left, and she didn't have one, so on her return from the truck, I approached her and asked if she would also like a rain poncho.  As I handed the poncho to her, I gazed into her eyes.  There was something so hauntingly beautiful in them.  Her entire visage - she had such a pretty face, I just wanted to look at her. 

And as I looked into her eyes, she asked me, "Do you see the Lord in me?"

"I do" I replied. And as I said that, my whole being became awash with the Spirit of God.  The experience was so unique, I became frightened by the feelings it stirred in my heart. Then she said, "You know I love the Lord so much.  He's always here so close to my heart. I know how much he loves me. And the Lord doesn't like the situation I'm in.  He knows this isn't right.  Thank you.  Thank you for coming.  God bless you child." And she started singing praises to God.  I wanted to offer her words of hope and encouragement, to tell her that God doesn't like to see any of His children suffer, but I only managed a few mumbles.  She continued to sing songs of praise as we parted. 

When she left, I turned towards Anush to share with her what just transpired, and after two words and still very much in a state of shock, I began to sob.  I cried so much that Anush had to hold me in her arms and comfort me.  Even now as I type, the memory of the moment triggers such a strong emotional reaction that tears continue to roll.  I reflect on the experience and I think how undeserving I am.  What have I done to find favor?  To encounter God and experience His presence so deeply?  I think about my uncontrollable weeping, and I know those were also tears of joy, joy because I saw the Lord tonight.