The Everyday Club

5/21/10 Paul, mid 50's
While grocery shopping I used a "Million Dollar Bill" tract to start a conversation with Paul, an African-American CTA bus driver, and soon found out that he is mourning the recent loss of his parents and his wife of 30 years, who passed away a little more than a year ago. Our short conversation turned into what was truly a pastoral counseling session of well over half an hour, right there in the paper products aisle. Several times I thought he would lose his composure as he told about his wife, his grief, and his questions why God would allow this to happen. To make things even more complicated, he is in a new relationship, and wonders what his relationship with his wife in heaven would be like were he to marry again here on earth. He clearly needed someone to talk to and appreciated my advice in many areas. I think my initial concern for his soul and his relationship with God had quickly won his trust. Though he is in a season full of mixed feelings of grief and confusion and the hope of this new relationship, I believe he has faith in Christ for salvation. I ended our "counseling session" by praying for him which he truly appreciated.