Lent 2018 - Sundays, during Lent, rather than doing my own daily writing exercise, I share stories or thoughts I have collected through the years. This story about a man named Joe is a long time favorite.
Joe was a drunk
who was miraculously converted at a Bowery New York City mission. Prior to his
conversion, he had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for which there
was no hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his
conversion to a new life in Christ, everything changed.
Joe became the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had
ever known. Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission doing
whatever needed to be done. There was never anything that he was asked to do
that he considered beneath him --- whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by
some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets. Joe did what was asked with
a smile on his face and beaming gratitude for the chance to help. He could be
counted on to feed whoever wandered off the street and into the mission. He
faithfully tucked into bed men who were stoned or drunk and unable to take care
of themselves.
One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering an evangelistic
message the usual crowd of sullen men with drooped heads was present to hear
--- there was one frequenter in the bunch who stood up in answer to the alter
call. He came down the aisle and knelt to pray at the altar. He was crying out
to God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God ---
Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!"
The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man as he knelt at the
altar, "Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, make me like
Jesus." The man looked up at the director with a quizzical expression on
his face and asked, "Is he like Joe?"
