It All Started Over A Box of Christmas Decorations

I gave a bit of detail as I chronicled the travels of this past weekend. As I was driving north the length of the state of Alabama, I reflected as to the catalyst for how all this came together. It was absolutely a BUT, GOD experience that started because of a box of Christmas decorations.

On December 5, 2023 a man invited me to breakfast. One of his first questions was, “What is going to be under the tree for Terri Lee this Christmas?” I looked away from him as I replied, “I guess the same as has been the past few years. Nothing.” He then told me he wanted to make sure I did something for her. It is most humbling and overwhelming to be in this situation. Terri Lee and I talked of it later. We decided that we would like to take our grandchildren to an ice show in Roanoke in February. This man purchased the tickets for us, our children, and grandchildren. I then purchased a coffee mug that was under the tree for Terri Lee.

On Christmas Eve, I was sitting in the recliner in our living room scrolling through Facebook Marketplace. I saw a box of Christmas decorations for sale (about 32 in total) that were being offered for $65. I showed it to Terri Lee and her face lit up. She liked them. We really didn’t have the money, but I contacted the woman selling them and made arrangements to buy them. I explained we didn’t need them immediately. We would arrange to get them and put them away for next year.

On Saturday, December 30th, we met the couple in Bedford at the Lowe’s Home Improvement Store. The woman exited the truck and began speaking with Terri Lee. Her husband approached me to talk. He quickly noticed the logo on my shirt and asked me to what that referred. After a brief sharing of the story, I offered a book and DVD to him and his wife.

The next day, I receive a message from the husband who shared that they had watched the movie and were deeply affected by the messages of the movie. They wanted to share the story with others.

About two weeks ago, I received a message from his wife. She shared that she was watching the movie again - this time with her mother. She then told me some reasons the movie was particularly impactful and the difficulties her brother faced with addiction, etc. I told her I didn’t mean to inject myself into their family’s business, but we are involved with Hope Center Ministries. I told her I’d be willing to speak with her brother if he had any interest in hearing about the Hope Center. She told me he was living in Florida. I replied that we have been known to assist people with their application, admission fee, and transportation to the Hope Center.

On Monday (01/28) about 8:00 pm, her brother called my phone. I missed the call. He left a VM telling me who he was and wanted to know more about the Hope Center. He said he would call me back around 8:00 am on Tuesday morning. He was calling from a community phone on an inpatient mental health unit at a community hospital in Florida.

Beginning at 8:00 am I was closely monitoring my phone anticipating a phone call. One never came. About mid-afternoon Tuesday, the phone rang with the same number I had missed the previous evening. I answered it anticipating it was the brother of the wife from whom we had purchased the ornaments. Nope! It was a man named Josh. He said, “A patient here was telling me about the Hope Center and said you help people with that.” He proceeded to ask me questions and requested information. He said he would call me back. On Wednesday, I received a call from the same number. This time it was Troy. He wanted to know about the Hope Center. Josh had told him of it. On Thursday, both men telephoned me separately and asked for me to help them with their applications. I notified Patty Johnson that I had completed the online application for each man and to let me know if they would be candidates (based on the application).

Around 8:00 pm Friday night, Troy called me back and said “I would like to go to the Hope Center.” I contacted Patty (who had spoken with Troy) to confirm he was a candidate. She told me there was a bed available at a Hope Center in Wheeling, WV. I called Troy back and told him he could go to this center. We would work to make transportation arrangements and the fee to get in if he was serious about going. He was informed that this was a one-way ticket. Meaning if he quit the program before completion, we wouldn’t be able to get him back to Florida. He understood and doubled-down on his commitment to go. He anticipated being released from the hospital on Sunday (or early in that week). I began researching plane, bus, and train tickets for Troy. As I researched, everything proved to be complicated and challenging. I had no peace over any of the options. I went to bed.

I awoke around 4:00 am on Saturday. I was immediately wrestling in my mind about the transportation options for Troy. I reflected on the options, the costs, the challenges, etc. I continued to lack peace over any of these options. I fell back asleep. When I got up at 7:00 am, this is what I was hearing on my spirit: “You went to Mississippi to pick up a young runaway who was living on the streets. You made several trips to NW Pennsylvania to help another man who was wanting to come out of addiction. Why are you hesitating to go to Fort Walton Beach, FL for this man?”

In an instant, a peace came over me. I knew this was for me to do. I instantly believed this was a journey that was not just about Troy. I told Terri Lee about the assignment. She immediately began praying it. We didn’t have the money to pay to get Troy into the Hope Center. And we really didn’t have the money for the trip to get there, back to Wheeling, and home. She prayed about that. I reached out to a couple of guys to see if anyone wanted to take the trip with me. Of the half dozen men I reached out to, no one was available. I then proceeded to clean out my car for the trip. I had four Hope Packs on the back seat that are to be delivered for use at the Mt Airy Hope Center. As I gathered to take these inside, I decided to leave one in the car to give to Troy. I took the other three in and placed them on the dining room table. As I turned to walk out of the house, I was moved to grab one more Hope Pack to take with me. At 9:20 am, I left for Florida.

Before I exited Virginia, two separate people sent a total of $600 to help with travel expenses. As I cross into North Carolina, my telephone rang. It was Josh. He had been released from the hospital the day before. He too was making the decision to enter the Hope Center. I reached out to Patty who consulted with him by telephone. He too was a candidate for admission.

As I traveled south, I realized I would pass within a few minutes of where Caitlin and Kyle lived. We arranged to meet up for a few moments. It was an answered prayer as I had a desire to see Caitlin before we traveled for the wedding. Caitlin and I had conceded it just wasn’t going to work out. But here, through this, God made a way.

I arrived at a hotel in Fort Walton Beach, FL about 10:00 pm central time. I was hoping to be on the road to West Virginia by 9:00 am Sunday morning.  As I prepared to get in bed, I was led in my spirit to look for a church with an early morning service.  I thought this was a bit odd as I hoped to be on the road before any service would even start.  I started to look on the internet and social media for an opportunity.  After searching for a little bit, I found a Facebook page for Calvary Baptist Church.  It was just a few minutes from the hotel and a few minutes from the hospital where I expected to meet these two men on Sunday.  Calvary Baptist Church had a Sunday School class that would start at 9:15 am.  The church service would begin at 10:30 am.  I reasoned that I could likely attend the Sunday School class at 9:15 am and then get on my way to Wheeling, WV.

Early on Sunday morning, I communicated with Josh.  He had been discharged from the hospital on Friday.  He had been staying with his aunt about 45 minutes from the hospital since his discharge.  He had a medical situation to resolve as he was making plans to meet me at the hospital.  I got myself together and headed to the church for the Sunday School class.

As I arrived at the church, I was introduced to a man named Johnny.  He was the Sunday School teacher.  He took notice of the ministry logo stitched over the left pocket on my button-down shirt.  He asked me about it.  I explained what brought me to the panhandle of Florida the day before and the journey that lay ahead.  Before the class started, Josh called.  He informed me that his outstanding issue was resolved, and he was ready to take this next step.  He informed me that he was at the hospital with his aunt.  I asked him if he would rather wait there with her or would he like for me to come there and bring him back to the church.  He chose the latter.  I made the short drive to the hospital to meet Josh for the first time and his aunt.  We transferred his belongings to my car.  I then offered to pray over Josh and his aunt.  Josh and I climbed into the small 2005 Chevy Cobalt and headed back to the church.

The Sunday School meeting had begun by the time we arrived back.  They had recorded prayer requests and one of the men was speaking a prayer over those requests.  We waited with another man in the vestibule outside of the sanctuary which also served as a classroom for this particular class.  At the conclusion of the prayer, we entered the sanctuary and took our seats.  We listened attentively as Johnny spoke of the characteristics of God and how we are called to imitate Christ through our lives.  When the class ended, we exited to the adjacent lounge area.  During this time, I was notified that Troy had been informed by his physician that he would be discharged.  The order had been written.  However, it often takes time to complete the process.  I came to the understanding that we would have time to attend the Sunday morning service at this church.
As it neared time for the service to start, Josh and I found seats.  Just before the service began, I received a phone call from a social worker at the hospital.  I exited the sanctuary to answer the telephone.  She asked me some general questions about the plan for Troy so she could document it in his file.  She informed me he would be ready to leave around 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon.

I returned to the sanctuary.  Johnny stopped me on my way to my seat and instructed me to see him before leaving for the day.  Josh and I praised God through the worship portion of the service.  We then heard a sermon and received a message by way of the Holy Spirit.  As the service neared its conclusion, I went and kneeled at the altar to praise God and pray.

At the conclusion of the service, I approached Johnny.  I showed him a book that Josh wanted and he offered the $20 to cover the labeled cost for it.  He then reached his hand out and placed two one-hundred dollar bills in my hand to help cover the costs of the travel that was ahead of us.

Josh and I departed the church and returned to the hospital to await Troy’s discharge.  We parked the car and headed into the hospital’s main lobby where we waited.  Shortly after 1:00 pm, Troy was escorted to the lobby by one of the hospital’s caregivers.  We greeted one another for the first time.  Josh and Troy reintroduced themselves.  We then returned to the car and began to make our way towards Wheeling, WV.  The route of travel GPS recommended was north through the state of Alabama, then bisecting Tennessee, cutting the NW corner of Kentucky, and then west to east across from Ohio.

As we began this part of the journey, we experienced torrential rainfall.  The traffic on the interstate was heavy.  Our progress was slow.  The conversation was rich.  Josh and Troy shared many of their life experiences.  They wondered what the Hope Center would be like.  We each spoke of the faith we shared in Jesus Christ.  During the drive, we received the complete admission fee for one of the men even before we left the state of Alabama.  We made it as far as Nashville, TN and that’s where we stayed for the night.  The original thought was that we would have left earlier in the day and made the trip all the way to Wheeling, WV on Sunday.

Terri Lee secured reservations for each of us at a hotel in Nashville, TN near the airport.  Each of us were assigned a separate room.  Josh and Troy offered to stay together.  But we decided this approach to be best.  We met in the hotel lobby on Monday morning for breakfast and department around 8:00 am CST.  As we traveled away from Nashville, the director of My Brothers’ Crossing (who now resides outside of Nashville) sent a monetary gift which covered the cost of the hotel rooms.  As we drove through Kentucky, we telephoned Terri Lee.  She spoke words of encouragement to the men.  Torrey, who is completing his Hope Center Vocational Training (VT) through My Brothers’ Crossing, was with Terri Lee at the moment.  I asked Torrey to share a resident’s perspective with Josh and Troy.  Torrey ministered to these two men in a way that I cannot.  He shared encouragement for success in the program.  He answered questions they had about the Hope Center.  Torrey ended the call by praying over these two men.  Torrey’s ministry over these two men served to calm concerns that they were still harboring.  This is exactly why Torrey is completing his VT phase with this ministry.  This is exactly what God is equipping him to do.

We arrived at the Hope Center outside of Wheeling, WV around 5:30 pm on Monday evening.  By the time we arrived, we had received financial support for gas, food, lodging, and the admission fee for both men.  I prayed over them.  I then climbed back into my vehicle to complete the six hour drive back to Boones Mill.  I safely arrived back home at approximately 12:10 am on Tuesday morning.  I had traveled 2,100 miles through ten states over the course of 60+ hours.  God used this experience to deliver two men onto a path toward new life.

As of February 14, the report from the Wheeling, WV Hope Center was that these two men were continuing to do well in their new home with the Hope Center.  Terri Lee and I will be participating virtually with the Family Support Group Meeting on Friday nights when we are available.  We are hoping to be invited to return there to minister to these residents.