Success!

So, as many of you know, I (Josh) have been trying to help a friend at Christmas time this year. I met my friend James more than a year ago when he moved to Provo from Las Vegas. I don't know what he was involved in in Vegas but it wasn't good. He has demonstrated an incredible knowledge about illegal drugs and or the first few months that I knew him, he wouldn't tell anyone his last name because "there's a lot of bad people in the world."

But when he came to Provo, he started a new life. He got honest work at Deseret Industries and also got going on earning his commercials drivers license. He comes to our church each Sunday (that's where we met him) and it's a pleasure to see him there. He always greets us in his signature gruff voice and says goodbye by raising two figures in a peace sign, saying something like "Keep the faith, Brotha'" or "Look out for the bad guys".

Recently, James met a great girl named Deb. She's a bit of a kindred spirit for James. She ran away from where she was living out east in order to escape from an abusive relationship. Due to her past experience with men, she suspicious of people and very suspicious of God (being that He's a Man). James treats Deb so well. He's such a gentleman to her (and all women) and he really wanted to help her know God like he does.

James' first efforts to help Deb get on her feet were to help her become financially secure. He worked with some other friends from church to try to do her genealogy so she could prove she's an American Indian and register for the respective benefits. It turns out that getting registered is a really long process.

So, in the meantime, James decided to go to his boss at Deseret Industries to get Deb employed there. Sadly, Deb couldn't get a job there because she has a domestic violence charge on her record (she caught her former husband in bed with another woman and beat him up). So, Deb resorted to ringing a bell for the Salvation Army outside Walmart in sub-freezing weather.

Meanwhile, Jamie and I hadn't seen James at church for a couple of weeks and were worried about him. So, I went by James' house to see what was up. James was mad that his girl had to stand outside Walmart like that and that Deseret Industries wouldn't hire her (that's why he hadn't been at church—the church owns Deseret Industries). My heart was touched by James' indignation over the whole situation. I was very impressed by his sincere love and concern for Deb.

While I was there, I learned that James really wanted to buy an engagement ring for Deb for Christmas but he couldn't afford it (he makes minimum wage and was paying for Deb's rent and food on top of his own rent and food). He was really depressed by the fact that he couldn't give her a better Christmas.

So, I determined to do what I could to help. I decided to create a facebook page and blog that would ask people to donate just a little bit of money to a fund that would be given to James so he could buy an engagement ring for his girl in time for Christmas. I told a friend I was going to do this and she turned around and wrote me a $100 check to get the fund started. This really encouraged me.

At first, no one else donated any money via the internet. So, I also started wearing a sign around that told people to ask me about an opportunity to serve at Christmas. After one day of wearing the sign, I had about $15 more. The next day, I fasted that I would be able to raise a total of $200-300. I kept wearing the sign and, by the end of that day, the fund had grown another $20.

The next day, I forgot my sign and I didn't get anything. I was feeling discouraged because it was the 18 of December and I still needed more another $65 just to get to $200. Then, on the Saturday before Christmas, a bunch of people donated via the internet (thanks to all of you) and one friend donated another $100. In the end, people have given $310!

So, on the Sunday before Christmas, we went to church and saw James there. He looked really depressed (and maybe a little drunk). He sounded really discouraged about life and was way uptight. I told him I had a gift for him and asked him when he'd be working. The next day, I went by his work with the money but found out he'd gone home early. I called him and he said that he was so stressed out that he couldn't work anymore and had gone home.

I went to his house. He looked really depressed. I told him about the sign I'd worn and the money and all the people he didn't know who'd contributed money. I held the envelope with the cash out to him. He said to hold on and walked away, leaving me there with the money. He walked over to Deb's door (she's lives in the same motel as he does) and brought her to me. "Tell this lady what he just told me," he said.

I told Deb about the money we'd raised and she broke into crying (broke is a very good word to describe the sudden burst of big tears). She said that for once she didn't know what to say. James laughed amid his small, restrained tears. "Look Josh, you made this Indian cry," he said. We stood there together, hugging a few times and not knowing what to say (words seemed puny amid the feeling that saturated the air between us). James said to say thank you everyone who contributed money. Finally, I hugged them each one last time and got in my car.

As I drove off, I looked out the window to see Deb in James' arms, her back to me. James looked over her shoulder at me with a face full of hope and love and raised two fingers in a peace sign.

I drove home feeling very humbled and very happy. I felt close to God and felt that I could go and do anything in His name. This is what Christmas is all about. Thank you so much to everyone who donated. I wish you all could have been there when James and Deb got the money. You did a really, really good thing to help two people feel loved at Christmas. I think James and Deb will be a little less suspicious of people and of God in the future.

If you wanted to donate but were not able to in time (or were not able to for some other reason) then please take that desire to God in prayer and ask Him who can use your help at Christmas or at any time of the year. And then use His help to help others. I know God is quick to answer these kinds of petitions.