Juneteenth Handout

We got all the way to the corner when I realized: I'd forgotten the Bible Bag.  I'd left it, as it turns out, sitting in my chair.  At least I didn't leave it on the porch! 

Special moments for special people.  My memory/medication - not great. 

"At least I didn't forget the sign" I told Ron cheerfully.  That was a truly difficult handout when I did.  People were very alarmed when I walked up to their cars, waving the Bibles, but I did manage to hand them all out with God's help. 

I held the Bibles in my left hand, using one finger to brace the sign on my left, gripping it firmly on the right.  It caused some cramping, but nothing too bad. 

Yesterday I gave 3 Spanish Bibles to one of my drivers.  He was very upset about Donald Trump, and I told him only God had the answer, would he like some Bibles?  He was delighted. 

So, today I brought a few, even though Acres Homes is primarily black.  I did hand them out at the end of the Handout.  A car pulled up, God led me, he was delighted to get them all, and began passing them out to his wife and daughter. 

The Handout spot is on a bus line.  It was running at peak hours, every 10 minutes or so.  We'd hardly gotten out to the median when a middle aged guy came running over, asking for a Bible, ran back to the bus stop, and caught the bus.  That happened several times, actually. 

One man had declined a Bible, but when another recipient left his sitting on the bench, running over to the convenience store, the first man checked it out and stole it!  I had to turn around so the man wouldn't see me laughing.  Like my husband, he wouldn't receive a Bible, but he'd steal it! 

When the "victim" passed me, crossing the street, I offered him an identical.  He was happy to see it. 

I was really, really, happy, that at least 10 of my recipients were young to middle aged black men.  Haters are going to want to inflame them; but only God has the answer.  I also had a fair amount of "singles" to black women. 

One of my next recipients was a very earnest-looking white lady with long brown hair.  She reminded me of myself.  "I'll take all you can spare.  I am a social worker at a housing project".  I had no problem loading her up. 

I had done up New Testaments with "Where to look in the New Testament" (you can find it in my notes), so the recipients had good starting points on various issues.  I gave her quite a few, then a large handful of "Where to Look" bookmarks "For the people who already have a Bible".  She was thrilled. 

Another lady stopped in the gas station parking lot and waved me over.  I didn't hear how many she wanted so I brought several.  She begged me for all of them, so I handed them over.  She drove off happily. 

Another lady drove by, wanting a few for her family, but I mainly had singles and twos. 

Ron and I were just wondering if we'd made a mistake on our timing, when a woman pulled up next to us and stopped in the street (that, with a police car not a block away!).  "I want you to know" she said sincerely "How much ya'll touch my heart, coming here, doing this (she waved at the setup).  We need this.  Thank you so much."  Ron and I told her she was welcome, we were happy to help, and we meant it.  I quoted Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

She nodded, and thanked us again. 

It's great to be appreciated.  I was just feeling rather pointless.  I gave her a handful of bookmarks and she drove off. 

One older lady rolled by on a walker, cringing back as though I'd offered her a lump from the litterbox.  Oh-kay. 

A few minutes later a lady in purple pulled up.  She surveyed the box and asked about "The big one on top" (the one I had just offered to the older lady).  I gave it to her and she squeezed it.  "I want it to go to a good home" I told her.  "Someone else acted like I bit her and it hurt my heart!"  I didn't realize the lady was still at the bus stop. 

We heard shouting behind us at the gas station.  Ron wanted to know.  "Better not to look, here" I told him.  It continued for a few minutes with no other mayhem. 

I also saw a man dressed in house slippers, Superman pajama pants, a red tank top, and a lime green hard hat.  He didn't bother me, I didn't bother him.  We even ended up waiting at the bus stop together. 

As a rule, I always wave at bus drivers, cabs, metrolift, police, and fire.  I waved at something that appeared to be a Yellow Cab but it turns out Yellow had sold the cab to a private citizen.  She came over, asking for large print.  [hiss]  That, I didn't have, but I will be ordering it.  I suggested reading glasses at Dollar Tree, and gave her two (one for the passenger). 

A few passengers asked for more than one translation.  I've got no problem with that.  The Bibles are not expensive, and Parallel Bibles are popular for a reason (more than one translation, side by side).  I can't afford to hand THOSE out, but the versions I had cost me a quarter each.  So, I gave a few to various, generally older, people. 

I believe the right version is the one you'll read daily.  I got saved reading a Good News Bible.  They are not considered a "good, accurate" translation but they got me saved.  I do feature plenty of KJV because that's what they want. 

Anyway, we gave it an hour and a half.  We handed out about 60. 

We rode the bus home, me pushing Ron.  A young woman riding the bus kept looking longingly at the crate.  I grinned, picked up a Bible, and gave it to her with an even bigger grin.  She smiled back and disembarked! 

NOW we're done.