Barney
A Cheerful Friend
Barney is my friend. I have known him for about twenty years. He often attended the church where I worked. I enjoyed the times when he stopped by to chat with me in my office. I felt privileged to hear his story and learn about his parents, who he missed very much still decades after their passing. I was humbled that he invited me to a banquet where he was honored for his service to the community. He is a treasure.
Barney is kind and cheerful. He speaks to others with respect and chooses not to hold a grudge. He doesn’t look down on anyone, even the most broken among us. Barney worked hard to get to the place where he is in life. He qualified for a spot in downtown government sponsored housing for people who have lived on the streets. For the first time in years, he had a safe place to call home.
Courageous Choices
Barney has lived most of his adult life as a person experiencing homelessness. He lives on disability because of his diagnosis of severe mental illness. His parents died when he was young, leaving him nowhere to turn for support. He has never been addicted to drugs or alcohol, instead spending his days walking to “his” mountain where he talks with God. His relationship with God has not grown as a result of reading the Bible because Barney cannot read. Barney loves God.
Despite the hardships Barney experiences, he never complains. He chooses gratitude. He focuses on his calling, which he says is to encourage other severely mentally ill individuals to attend recovery support groups. He values the people who live on the streets and knows their potential for good. His passion to help others is infectious.
Sharing
Because he has lived in poverty all of his adult life, Barney learned early on to ask for help. He cannot exist without the kindness and generosity of friends and strangers. A number of people from the church we attended helped Barney out from time to time. We informally took turns to help meet his needs.
A few of us threw a 60th birthday party for Barney in my office. It had been many years, if ever, since Barney had a birthday party. We brought him presents like shoes and clothes, and made him a cake. He didn’t quite know how to receive it all, but I noticed the clothes and shoes on him the next time he came to church. He wore his gratitude with style.
Barney’s Influence on Me
Long before banking became electronic, Barney showed me his disability check. Tears filled my eyes. No one could live on what he received each month, yet he chose contentment in his circumstances, believing that God took care of him. He chose to focus on his purpose rather than on his hardships, which gave him dignity and self-respect. I admire him greatly for this.
Barney taught me about life on the streets. Before knowing him, I understood that not everyone who lives on the street is a danger to others. My friendship with him brought this fact to life. He taught me how important socks are for people who must walk everywhere they go. He helped me understand the network of people who live where he lived and how he reached out to them to give them hope. He shared some of the dangerous encounters he experienced. He didn’t judge the offenders for their actions, but saw them through the eyes of compassion and understanding of their brokenness. He knew the people of the streets because he lived among them.
I think of Barney each time I get in my car. Once when I ran an errand with Barney and then took him back to his apartment, he said something to me that impacted me deeply. It felt as if the words were straight from God to me. As I dropped him off, he said, “Louise, have a nice ride home in your car.” I didn’t hear self-pity in his words. What I did hear was a reminder that my ability to own a car and drive a car were gifts from God. I have never forgotten that lesson and hope I never do.
Ongoing Purpose
Barney uses an electric wheelchair now. He gets around downtown Phoenix in it and probably knows more people than I can imagine. I run into him when I go to a baseball game or meet someone downtown for a meal. We greet each other like long lost friends, which is what we are. He tells me again about how he is giving speeches and inviting others to recovery support groups. In fulfilling his purpose in this world, he touches lives with the hope and love of God. May my life do the same.
Acts 11:23 “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.”
Photo by Jorg Karg on Unsplash (This is not a photo of Barney, but the picture captures his spirit.)