Friday 21st Dec 2012 – “Black-eyed Friday” and the Police have asked us to patrol tonight as they expect it to be busier than tomorrow. I’ve never seen such rain and the only change during our 6 hour patrol is that it gets heavier and heavier. We’re drenched and after the breaks, our Prayer Pastors are mopping the floor as there’s so much water coming off us! Mind you, the fact that bacon sandwiches are on offer goes some way to helping us to forget the weather!

We’re getting soaked, the roads are starting to flood and I’m asking the Lord, “Why are we here?”

Over the next hour, His answers come. We have an excellent conversation with one guy who is SO gobsmacked that we’re out all in that weather! Once he’s expressed that, he opens by saying “I believe in science” (then just as I’m preparing my creation science answers in case he asks), he says “…but you’ve got something I haven’t; you’re motivated by love aren’t you?” – a wonderful chat follows as you can imagine!

Later we meet a man equally stunned that we’re out and in the natural course of the conversation, 3 of the 4 of us end up giving him our testimonies. Meanwhile the girl with him tells Dave Strutt  she remembers talking to him in the past when she was homeless – she said that she used to be homeless and through the help of lots of people and agencies she had got herself sorted out.

She said that she really respected and appreciated what we did (“If it wasn’t for people like you I wouldn’t have got myself sorted out”) and would really love to be a SP as well, or at least something like it in order to give back a little.

She asked how she could get involved. Dave suggests that she get involved in a church emphasising all the benefits of belonging to a church family and pointed out that there is no better time to start going to church than Christmastime, suggesting the Mutley Baptist Carol Service.

Comment from Dave, “It was encouraging that she had remembered talking to me in the past  I especially remember that there was still hope in her eyes in contrast to the hopeless look in the eyes of so many people we meet on the streets”

In another way, that night still encourages me now; as no matter what the weather is before or during a patrol, I remember 21st Dec 2012 and remind myself that tonight cannot possibly be wetter – there’s no such thing!