Mentally ill guest offers beautiful response
Story by Damien Poling (pictured below), housing case manager at The Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter in Minneapolis
Mental illness is a daily reality at The Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter in Minneapolis.
David, a self-described “seeker” from California, was an extreme example of this. He was what some observers might describe as “particularly homeless.” His old army jacket was covered in indecipherable phrases written in the pattern of a crossword puzzle, his hygiene was noticeably bad, and much of the time his words were mutterings and growls. Other times, he spoke in foreign languages. For all his troubles, though, he had a certain style about him. He struck me as a hippie who had lost his way.
As I began the intake process with David, he continually sidetracked into a world of history, philosophy, conspiracy, Lord of the Rings, and more growling.
He fascinated me. Through the gift of having met other people in similar situations, I have learned that if you listen to them – really listen to them – they are the people most likely to give you a message you weren’t expecting. The things they say sometimes are just too serendipitous, too synchronous, to be anything but a message crafted especially for you.
With that, I decided to ask David, “What is the one most important lesson you have learned in all your experiences?”
He sat up straight and looked me square in the eye. Then, suddenly, he grew agitated and rose to his feet, leaving my office and muttering, “Lesson? Lesson? Does he really want it?” He came back in and looked at me again, still contemplating my inquiry. He left again muttering, “Should I tell him?”
Finally, about 20 seconds later, he came back inside and sat down. He put his hands on my desk and leaned across, as though ready to tell a secret. “Lesson is … Gott ist gut.”
That’s German for “God is good.” It’s the kind of unexpected and beautiful response you can get from someone whom, you might assume, to be the least likely of sources. I wondered – why was he hesitant to share this most valuable and hard-won lesson with me? Did he think I wouldn’t believe him?
Well I do, and I’m glad to have been blessed by meeting him.