After a long and cold week, Shoulder the Cross went downtown to serve the brothers and sisters in need. I saw on the news how there were many affected by the rolling blackouts. I read that there were some who were very upset with these blackouts. One person sent a blog reply to me saying:
I found myself complaining during the recent hard freeze and the following “Rolling Blackouts” in our state to conserve electricity. I thought, “don’t they know I have two infants at home?!” And then I remembered those far more under-resourced than myself who don’t have the luxury of 4 walls around them and a place to build a fire if needed. How quickly we forget to use our blessings to bless others. -Jonathan
All the jackets and sweaters went real fast this week while serving this week. A lot of shoes were handed out as well. It turned out to be a great morning. Almost all the sandwiches were gone. All the chips and snickers disappeared very quickly. Connie got a new nickname; they call her the Snickers lady. I think it is pretty cool how my friends on the street make names up for the frequent helpers of Shoulder the Cross. There is more cold weather coming later in the week, so I hope we provided enough warm clothing for my friends on the street.
I got some really sad news this week. A long time friend and companion of Shoulder the Cross has passed on. I found out that Mark Wolf died sometime this past September in some sort of alcohol related death, or so it is believed. Mark was a friendly guy. He was kind of a self survivor. He didn’t have a lot of friends he hung around. I remember he always asked for nylon shorts. He wore a size 9 shoe, medium t-shirt and loved the ham and cheese sandwiches. Mark always got socks when he could. He only wanted white socks. Every time I had underwear he would ask for a pair and get so excited when I gave them to him. I remember helping Mark with a computer he found in a dumpster once. He needed some spare parts to get it working and Shoulder the Cross was able to acquire for him. There are so many ways Mark Wolf shaped who Shoulder the Cross is today and I am grateful to him for that. Many times in my ministry I see people come and go. I feel connected to a lot of those who disappear and I always wonder what ever happens to them. I usually tell myself that they have moved on to a better place. Mark was a good and honest man. I know now that he too has moved on to a better place. You will be surely missed.