My sister went to live in Chicago and there she met a homeless man who was begging. She is sometimes a little crusty with strangers but she loves God and so she follows the scripture "give to all who beg from you". As an actress she didn't make huge money but she gave what she could and over time she and Jimmy formed a friendship.
On one of my visits I met Jimmy and we spent some time in really good conversation. With what he had told me and with my sister's help we pieced together the story of his life in brief.
He had been a very bright boy, athletic and energetic. Became an airforce pilot and when he left the service went to work for TWA. Nice wife, nice house, nice kids. Little bit of a drinking problem that morphed into cocaine. Lost house, wife and kids. Hit the streets. Got AIDS.
During the long protracted suffering of his life he also found God, Who had not been a part of his life when everything looked rosy. He loved to hear about the Lord and he loved to talk about the Lord - something we had in common. In the little time I had with Jimmy he was a very good teacher for me.
The last time I saw him he was at the end in a VA hospital. He asked me if I had cigarettes and I said I did but there was no smoking there. He said to follow him - the nurses had shown him their spot. We had a smoke together and he was talking about the goodness of God in some real specific and beautiful ways and I said, "You are so good." Jimmy looked at me with that charming crooked smile of his but with a really penetrating look. He said, "Anne, I'm not good. I'm an addict. If I was able to be on the streets I'd be high right now. God doesn't love us because we're good. God loves us because HE'S good." Tears came to my eyes and we just stood there for a while in the presence of that profound, humble, powerful, joyful, merciful truth.
God be with you, Jimmy, and thanks for that gift that I have been able to share with so many others.
