Shelter News 17

It’s been a full week at the Phinney Ridge Winter Men’s shelter. The Lake City Shelter closed for the year on Monday so we’ve had some new faces to get to know. We try to make a connection with our guests as soon as possible. Intake procedure takes about a half hour and includes routine questions about health and family, and just finding out some basic and often immediate needs like where they need to be during the day. Get them a bus pass if they need make it to an appointment at the VA. That sort of thing.

We try to make a connection while eating. I think all people do this. Certainly Christians do this and it’s even mandated by our Leader. It’s called Communion. The always popular church potluck is a form of Communion. At the Shelter we talk and tell stories around our two 8 foot dining tables. One story was from a man who grew up in the Phinney Ridge area (Swedish, go figure) and had yet another chemo treatment this week. He has been noticing in his life that certain things mean more to him than they used to when he was healthy. He was sitting waiting to be called for his treatment to start when another patient in the waiting room, not so healthy and mobile as him, was called and needed help getting up. He offered his arm and helped her up. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. He was delighted and said “Thank you and God bless you.” She said, “He already has.”

In other news Easter is almost upon us and Emmanuel is celebrating the arrival of our new pastor Bob Zurinsky. He is being “installed” this Sunday and will be eating with sinners very much as Jesus liked to do. After all, who else are you going to eat with?

Ben Paul 3-29-2015