If you knew you were going to die soon, do you know the places you would want to visit before you stepped across the veil?
A few months ago a man and his wife visited Network to say goodbye. He told us he and Network went way back, that he'd lived in the neighborhood back in the day, and that the place meant a lot to him.He had a terminal cancer diagnosis, he said, and Network was on the list of places he wanted to be sure to see one more time before he died.
As shift directors, volunteers, and supporters of Network, it's easy to forget how much the place matters to our guests. We don't offer anything very complicated or flashy. Sometimes we have socks, sometimes we don't. Sometimes there's some food, sometimes there isn't. Sometimes the coffee is better than others.But our constant is this: we show up. We open the door and say, "Hello, come in, grab a seat. You're welcome here. We love you. This place is for you. Make it yours. Let's be friends."
When a dying man makes your simple ministry one of his last stops on a goodbye tour, you can be sure Christ has claimed the place as his own. We figure Christ is a pretty good partner for the work.