We'll Make It

I started off this morning visiting the family who has suffered the loss of a dear Christian man. He was only 35 years old, and this is the second major loss for this family within five years. We talked about the funeral service and what we thought would be the best way to memorialize such a positive faith-filled man. We will play two of his songs ... songs he wrote, played all instrumentation on, sang, and recorded himself. That will be a special memory for a special person. Then I went to the building and worked on power point for tonight's Good News Night. We managed to scare up about 20 or so. With the funeral visitation going on, and few out of town relief workers here, we expected this. Still, we had the grand-daughter of one of our members, a lady who came in for help today, another lady we have helped, and a lady who has been every night so far. So, we had the visitors there! I spoke from 2 Corinthians 4 about not giving in to despair because of the mercy of Christ. Today my brother Ken got out of the hospital, and his story highlights so many things that need attention here on the Coast. First of all, he was working for a contractor who had no insurance, no workman's comp, no nothing. Ken fell off of the roof and injured his back, pelvis, and knee. This man and his crew picked up Ken and took him to the hospital. Have these people never watched an episode of ER? Ever since Emergency shook up the networks back in 1972, we all knew to never pick up or move someone with a potential back or neck injury. But they did, resulting in a pinched nerve so that he could not feel his left leg at all. I took Ken to the hospital Monday and they did surgery on Wednesday. Since Ken has no insurance, is not old enough for medicare, and has no income, suddendly he has no medical condition necessitating his stay in the hospital. So they were putting him out today. Ken's house was destroyed in Katrina. He spent part of his time sleeping in hospitals and nursing homes until they discovered him and booted him out. He eventually ended up sleeping on a mattress on the floor at our church building. So I asked for a social worker ... and was told it would do no good. There is no where for Ken to go. He will need assistance for 8 weeks. John Sanders went to Mobile to pick Ken up late this afternoon. Ken was going to try to prevail upon his mother, who has a house that is too crowded already ... but I don't know how the story ended. I'll tell you tomorrow. Perhaps someone can correct me, and perhaps I speak from ignorance, but aren't these teaching hospitals funded with Federal dollars? USA Medical Center is a part of the University of South Alabama - beneficiary of multitudes of grants and Federal money. And with all of that money coming from the world's richest nation, this homeless guy gets put out to the curb? He will need 8 weeks of attention ... but he does not need medical attention? Friends, this is the SECOND time we have had to deal with this exact situation. In addition, the slew of crooked contractors has become a plague. My friend James has been ripped off THREE times by contractors that took advantage of his skills. Rebuilding a broken Coast is a big enough challenge without rip-off contractors and inadequate health care. Of course, these are not post-Katrina problems ... they are American problems. Tomorrow night 75 young people arrive from North Carolina to infuse energy and possibilities into the action here at Central. I can't wait! Two different people today told me I looked tired. I am. It's almost too late to go to bed early, but I might give it a try. This experience is shaping me in ways I surely do not even know. I only hope it is shaping me into the form of my Master. ...we’re half way there, livin’ on a prayer take my hand and we’ll make it, I swear --- Bon Jovi, Livin' On A Prayer