wandering angels

when i walked into his hospital room in the psychiatric ward i felt a wave of relief--and as he turned around a huge smile spread across his face, and joy filled my heart as he exclaimed in his soft spanish accent "ee-lees-a-bet! i was so worried about you!" i wanted to hug him. but all i could do was smile my biggest smile and exclaim "i'm SO glad we found you!"

i have been working with this soft-spoken veteran since my first day at my new job, until he disappeared earlier this week. we've been looking for him since monday, and finally yesterday my co-worker and i called the hospitals in a last ditch attempt to make contact with him to let him know that his housing application got approved and he can move into his new apartment. they told us at one of the local hospitals that someone with the general description of our client and the same name was admitted over the weekend, but he was 10 years younger. i went to check on him today, but after my morning--which was filled with a client (and his mom--for real) yelling at me, another client deciding to strip down and run around a park, and a woman who was convinced i missed our appointment (that i had no idea we had made) i was 100% sure that this would turn out badly as well.

but it didn't, and when our dear gentleman gave me his grin, i knew why i had been so excited about this job.

these past three weeks i have probably experienced the best and the worst that street outreach has to offer. but such love fills my heart for every one of these people that i can't imagine doing anything else. and even on the rough days a client will say something brilliant or hilarious that will brighten my day. as i sit and listen i realize that these men and women who have been disregarded, ignored or pushed to the streets by various illnesses, stigmas or people have so much to offer if i will just sit down and take the time to listen.

and today as A smiled up at me from his hospital bed the only thing i could think of was this verse in hebrews, and how today A was such an angel to me.

keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
(hebrews 13:1-3)

and even though today was really, really hard, that smile reminded me that i am the luckiest person on this whole earth. because i get to sit in the company of angels that so many people disregard.