My day started with racism. Specifically, a driver lecturing Ron about same, and how he "as a disabled person, and black, should be doubly sensitive" to same.
I sat there in the front seat, listening to the theme music from "Selma" (which started the whole thing, Ron didn't like the rapping), listening to my black driver tell my black husband he wasn't racially sensitive. Not only that, I had nearly 100 Bibles in a crate sitting behind his wheelchair, so I could go hand them out to (mostly) black people in the ghetto.
She didn't come out and call me a racist, and she couldn't because, after all, I did marry a black man. I was going to serve the poverty-level black population of a notorious Houston ghetto.
I noticed West Little York, east of Antoine, had a lot of construction and was down to one lane in each direction. I figured the eastbound left turn would be "bad". Not to mention, I HATE that lane divider. I actually hit a car, tripping, one time. The driver was very nice, but I could have died if it had been moving.
I don't take STUPID risks. Usually. Other than going to the ghetto with a crate of Bibles and a blind man in a wheelchair.
So, I took the southbound side of the intersection. I had some really fun people. My favorites were the double-takers. They squinted at me as though I were a three headed alien. Some of them, on realizing my task, grinned. I gave all the grinners one Bible, at least, and they were happy. A lot of people, upon realizing "my mission", did smile, and all of them were delighted to get a Bible.
Some people just scowled at me, but everyone was polite. The worst I got was a white guy waved me off like a gnat.
Oh, and the money. It seemed like everyone wanted to give me money today. I kept telling them no, thank you. I told them friends bought the Bibles. My husband took care of me, I was fine, thank you but no. Please, though, if you want to help... they leaned forward. "Please pray for everyone who gets a Bible today!" They all grinned, leaned back in their seats, and nodded "I can do that!".
I handed out several to people waiting at the bus stop, and several more to pedestrians crossing the street. Only one guy said no. Pedestrians were the most accepting.
I had one guy in a huge, beautiful vehicle with a laser-cut custom grill. It was a beautiful vehicle with lots and lots of chrome. He was looking at a passenger, so I passed him up. I handed out a few Bibles to a Spanish couple, and he waved at me as I came back. He was digging for his wallet. I gave him the "No money" speech but "I would love to give you some Bibles. How many would you like?"
"Two?" I handed them over. He handed them back.
"A couple more?" I guess they liked the covers!
I ended up giving him 6, total.
A lot of times people tell me I "can't just" serve the ghetto. Well, he wasn't poor.
A lot of the Spanish speakers looked at me with jaded expressions, until I'd grin and hold up a Spanish language New Testament. Then they'd grin, roll the window down, and reach for it. Gimme that! It was wonderful - and why I ALWAYS bring Spanish. I had about 25 Spanish and handed them all out. I have my "extra" evangelism, and handed out a couple of Spanish Gospels of John as well.
Some people saw me from a couple lanes over and waved. One lady said "We aren't going to go until we get our Bibles!" I ran over and got her (carefully, the light HAD changed).
I did think, as I got back to the curb, I wouldn't mind getting run over on a Bible Handout, as long as they finished the job.
I had one group of 3. I didn't realize it and only handed them one. The light changed. Agh. I wish I could have given them more.
One group said they'd be back. They didn't. :(
The next time, I "happened" to have 3 New Testaments in hand when I found another carload of 3. I was so happy to hand them all in the window. They began passing them out.
"Sometimes" I told Ron musingly "They tear into those Bibles like I hid money inside." I had done up different tracts for the Bibles, so even if someone got 10 they probably didn't have any identical tracts. "Because" I told Ron "I do get a lot of groups, and God has a different message for everyone."
My favorite tract, I think, was "God's last name is not Damn". Well, my favorite, favorite, is "The Coming of the Lord." It is a basic rapture tract, with salvation message.
"Why Does God Allow Trouble" - another good one.
Anyway, I worked and worked. I'd hand out 10, and it would be dead for 15 minutes. I wasn't far from a McDonald's so that helped business as we got close to lunch.
Pretty soon, I was down to just a few. I wrapped it up.
But wait, there's a woman yelling on her cell phone, at the bus stop; her daughter; and a weary looking older man. I gave them Bibles, then we went to lunch.
All done, about 80 in 2 hours. Ron was a great sport about waiting so long.
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