Mr. Hanson was talkative and as I took water over to him he engaged me in a coneversation about where I was from and if I was a pastor. As he we spoke about the Kingston area we work in he became more excited and shared how he knew the area well and began to speak of some of the landmarks of the THREE MILE corner and its vicinity.
As we spoke further he mentioned how he had worked for many years and he even spoke fondly of his employer. But he started down a vein of dissapointment that made me stop, almost in thought, and focus on the words that were coming from his lips.
Mr Hanson spoke about his stroke, how he had been in the University Hospital for a couple of months and came out none the better. I had not noticed before, but just under the sheet that covered his left arm was what would have been a viable member except that the stroke had left it completely paralyzed and fixed right next to his chest.
For what seemed like an eternity I gazed a this hand that was frozen in its position and clearly atrophied from lack of use. I reflected on my mom and others whom God had so blessed to not go through a situation such as this. Those that have loved ones that care about them and have the means and heart to help them.
But Mr. Hanson was not unhappy in his talk, he told me how he left the University Hospital and then spent a long time in a nursing home in Havendale (Kingston). But, it was obvious, although he didn't say it - that he ran out of financial resources to care for himself. Now he was in the home for the indigent.
We spoke of him being in that state for fifteen years, unable to engage the world as he had as a young man. Now lying there and waiting for ?? I thought long and hard about him, what would I do in such a situation? How would I survive with this for fifteen years?
My friends, it is Christ that died for us and we must find our place to give hope to lost souls such as this. Since coming to Jamaica I have tried to give to our community as much as we can, fasted and prayed and went without many things so that we could sow into others that had a greater need.
Let us be a people of sacrifice, wholly giving ourselves over to the God that we serve so that we can serve our fellow man.
Next time, I will share a little about Richard, Mr. Davis and Norris, three men that need the compassion of Christ to always be displayed in their world.
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