Let us pray for Norman.

I work at Steve and Barry's in Tanglewood Mall. At least, for the time being until the store closes. I was never supposed to work here. I was never supposed to stay with this company. But God's great plan brought me back from my job at the Gap Inc. and back to the company I never thought I'd come back to.

Every day when I go on break I take my laptop and walk down to a small seating area in front of Santa Claus where I can use Belk's unprotected wireless internet. I listen to music that can uplift my battered spirit from the day of working retail. Usually Jason Morant is praying with me singing "My life is a love song for you" or Jonny Lang is re-assuring me "You're not alone, and I'll be there... just remember my love remains" in between the random "Happy Holidays!" echoed by the Jolly man in the Red Suit (Which irritates me, because he should be saying Merry Christmas. He's not Hannukah Claus people, and definitely not Kwanza Kringle).

I sit down with my Chic-Fil-A sandwich and fries, with my coke (No ice, please. Thank you), and my laptop. God has different plans. An older black man on a stability stroller comes my way, sitting down opposite me on the couch facing the one person chair where I reside. He has a plain wooden cross on about the size of a child's hang on a thin black strand. He also is wearing a hat that says, "JESUS". His name is Norman Veney. He shows me a letter he received from George Bush in reply to a prayer support sent to our President. Mr. Bush graciously wished Mr. Veney the best, in hopes that God blesses Norman and watches over him. At the bottom there is a signature, not photo copied, not printed from a machine but what looks like an authentic signature upon this smal letter of gratitude on White House letterhead.

We talk a great deal about our walks with God, me ministering to people with music in Lynchburg and many other things. Norman asks me if I have change for a $20 bill. Sadly, I do not but I ask him how much he needs (hoping it's not more than the $9 I have in my wallet). He says $9 is absolutely enough. He takes my $9 and hands me a $20 bill explaining, "I want to bless you, man. Praise God for young folk like you. Praise God for young people like you." By no means do I need his money... but by no means do I need to refuse his grace. Or God's.

We talk some more and I ask him what how I can be praying for him. He humbly requests that I request that God can change the anger in his heart for sin and the death of this world can be replaced with love for people. That he can tell the people he meets about our Lord of Peace, and our Healer of Wounds. And that he has no problem keeping a job, but he would really like to get a job. He needs a job. By no means is he poor. But he knows he doens't want to be irresponsible with the life God has given him. He would love to work at the Virginia Hospital in Salem. Or MacGuire's in Richmond. He said maybe he should write George Bush a letter asking him to get him a job. He would glady be a janitor. Anything. He already does a daily bible study at the Hospital in Salem. He knows that he needs to only remain faithful in the things that God has given him and God will always bless him more.

Let us pray for Norman. Norman, the gracious man that blessed a 21 year-old kid who has a nice car, 3 guitars, a portable computer, clean (fairly) clothes, and a warm bed. For no other reason than God told him to bless me. Praise God for men like Norman who nnever see their own circumstances but know that God has called him to love God first, and love people unconditionally and all the laws of the prophets and all of life's worries will fall in place after that. After his testimony of how God delivered him from alcohol. And how God delivered him from cigarettes. How God delivered him from crack. How God delivered him from hate.

And as he slowly stands up, his right leg immobilized (but it clearly not being any concern of his for God is good and this is only a thorn in his side) I can hear Jonny Lang and Michael MacDonald singing, "I gotta take the time to say I wanna be thankful! For every little breath that I take, I gotta be thankful! Any one of these so easily could have been me, and if it had not been for grace and mercy who knows where I'd be?"

Praise Yahweh. Our Peace. Jehovah Shalom.