Rejoicing In The Morning

I just purchased a used digital camera last night from Steve, who camped out near me, until today. I met up with him last night while walking to camp when he was carrying all of his worldly possessions in a huge suitcase rigged as a backpack. We set down on theOlympic Legacy Bridge near the UofU to have a talk. I ask him where he was off to and he stated he was going to try and buy a bus ticket to Portland Oregon, where he once lived. He needed some help adjusting the pack so he unloaded part of it and pulled out the camera. Steve ask if I knew anyone looking to buy a camera or a place to pawn it so he would have enough for the bus ticket. I told him I knew no one but most likely because of it being an old camera, pawn shops may not want it or wouldn't give him much. He said, "Man I'm 18 bucks short of getting my ticket." Well, I said you know I'll give you 20 bucks for the camera and if you come back you can have it back. Well, low and behold I now have a digital camera to carry around and Steve is on his way to Portland.

Did I need the camera? Nah. I could be using the money for many other needs than this, but I was glad to help out a fellow homeless person. This may be the start that Steve needs to put his life in order.

Meanwhile, Steve was really feeling down and said he was grateful that I was a friend. (Ah, the opportunity to tell him who my best friend is.) I explained to Steve about God and how He's become my closest friend and Savior. He said, "Wow, I never thought about that", and thanked me. I then gave him an 'In Touch' ( intouch.org ) pamphlet to read on the bus today and we parted ways.

Today I'm rejoicing the opportunity to share the Lord.

The top photo is from this morning at the UofU Marriott Library, where I'm able to update this blog and do other research and projects. I guess the camera works great for internet photos. I'll be using the camera today to journal my trek to a food bank and a stop at a local resource center to get a clothing voucher, it will be neat to be able to share my day through photos now.

I found an interesting and fresh look at 'God In A Box'
that I really liked so check it out. I also found an interesting article about bed bugs, a problem that exists at the shelter here in Salt Lake. They even closed it early this year to spray, but several of my friends complain of being bitten regularly, some even resulting in large swellings and welts, not to mention the agony of itching.

My music for the morning is from Jars of Clay singing "God Be Merciful To Me".