What to do With Myself

Last Thursday afternoon I was on my way to Taco Bell on 31st for a late lunch after work and before an eye doctor's appointment. I had about an hour and a half of time to kill, not really enough to get anything I needed to do done. I had asked myself so much what I wanted to do that I began singing "Just don't know what to do with myself, don't know just what to do with myself..."(the version in the karaoke scene of My Best Friend's Wedding). After I had gone over all the things I didn't want to do I was walking into the restaurant. I noticed a man with long gray hair, a goatee, (that needed cleaning up), and a few tattoos, leaning against a telephone pole (or the like) with a few bags of groceries at his feet. I began talking to myself,
"that's odd. He must be waiting on a ride"...
"It would have to be a friend, I don't see a bus stop, and he would be nearer the road if that were it"...
"I bet he is just fine." I ordered my food and sat down where I could watch him, just in case. He was obviously waiting on someone. He kept looking left, right, left, behind, then I noticed a brace on his knee. I kept talking to myself,
"I wonder what that is"...
"I wonder if he has been at Scott and White"... (the hospital a scant block away)
"maybe he walked over to get groceries before going home"...
"He certainly can't walk where ever it is he is going."
Uh Oh. there it was. Did you catch it? Now I had no choice, I was going to have to find out if this dude was OK. Then having a conversation - with myself,
"Crap. God? I don't want to ask this guy if he is OK. Besides, what can I do, I don't even have a cell phone. It's not like I can drive him home, He is a perfect stranger. "
"he probably wouldn't be any more interested in that than you would"
"But still, there is nothing I can do. Well, I do suppose I could track down a phone better than he could."
"What if something happened to his ride? What if he could call his ride? What if his ride is laying dead on the highway somewhere and he will be stranded for life because no one knows where he is and someone like you could alter his life forever if you would just go up and ask him if he is OK!!!!" (that last part was just for dramatic emphasis - mostly)
"OK God, Fine. But I am going to finish my Diet Coke first and give his friend a few minutes longer to show up."
"Fair enough." (yes, I said conversation with myself)

I decided to go out the far door which would put me closest to him as I walked to my car. I would casually look back ask "Hey, you OK?" he would answer "Yea, just waitin' on my ride" and all would be right with the world again.

After refilling my soda I walked out the far door and lo and behold he spoke to me first!
"Do you know what time it is" he called out
"I can find out" I said and walked back into the building chuckling to myself. when I came out again he was turned back into his concentrated left right searching. Instead of yelling I thought it nicer to go up to him.
"It's 1:45" I reported, "are you OK?"
"Yea, I'm just waiting on the bus it's an hour late"
"Wow, So you've been out here for an hour with your groceries waiting on the bus?" I clarified
He had a very friendly disposition to be in such circumstances
"Yea, Somethin' must have happened but they don't send anyone around to let you know or anything."
Knowing the only real thing I could do was take him home I asked, "Where 'bouts you headed"
"Oh I live downtown right behind the post office down there off Main"
As I thought to myself "that's a long way"I replied. "So you're just going home then?"
"Yea." he turned again to gaze along the road for the bus.
I pondered about the chances of someone on the prowl buying groceries, and a leg brace, and standing on the corner by what I could now see was a bus stop, looking for the off chance that someone besides the bus would come by to pick them up. Then I reminded myself that I didn't know what to do with myself for the hour and I was not in control of what happened to me anyway. So I offered "Well, I guess I could take you if you promise not to hurt me."
I could tell that 'hurt me' line took him aback.
"Well... OK"
followed by thanks to which I replied
"I think sometimes God puts us in places on purpose"
I cleaned out the front seat, introduced my self, and met Colby
"You know" he replied, "that is great. I think so too, there were a couple others that offered but they was real hesitant about it, not like you, like they didn't really want to, wasn't comfortable. But I didn't get that from you. God is just great"

He talked about how he had gotten spoiled by Austin's transit system, and that he used to street preach there and had a nice little park congregation, right around 6th street. WOW!!!! He asked me where I went to church so I told him hesitantly and got ready with my disclaimer. Sure enough he had been there and gotten 'some looks' showing up on his Harley, not dressed appropriately, with a buddy of his. Then he explained how he had found a nice church, small, close to home, that he was now enjoying.

"But this is what it's really about, this here!" excitedly he exclaimed as he literally bounced up and down in my front seat.
"I think it is fear that keeps us away from so much." I replied
We continued talking, I told him about how I had grown up on motorcycles and even had a picture of all three of my sisters and my dad on a bike at one time. He was quite intrigued at that one. I dropped him at his apartments and sadly that was it. As I drove away I thought, What a blessing.

It was one of those things God does for us that are just so incredible that you wouldn't believe it if you hadn't been there. I suppose God does know what to do with us even if we don't know what to do with ourselves.