PEOPLE LIKE CHARLIE (from the blog's achives)

This piece was originally posted on the blog on Monday, June 22, 2009, just a few weeks after I returned from a month's rest, including what was supposed to be a private and personal retreat at a remote spiritual retreat center in the Missouri Ozarks. Hope you enjoy reading "People Like Charlie"!

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Most of you know I had a “sabbatical month” off from mid-April through mid-May. That was a very special time for me. It was a time to disconnect (as much as I could) from “regular” life in Massachusetts and to “connect” with God in a powerful way. Much of what happened during the sabbatical month is very personal- too personal to write about. I know that to some people I may seem to be the same person I've always been, but if you could truly see inside my “heart”...inside my soul and spirit, you’d see that a lot of things changed as a result of the month in Missouri.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the secluded retreat facility where I spent several days in late April and early May. That was a wonderful place and a wonderful time. I can honestly say that I “got in touch with God” at that place. But I can also say that God allowed a big “challenge” to “stretch me”. I had prearranged to be “on retreat” from a Tuesday morning through a Friday midday. I arrived around 11 on the Tuesday morning. A home made sign announced, “Welcome Charlie! (not his real name) Welcome Bob! May you have great retreats!”

Shortly after I pulled into the retreat center, the “hermit priest” who runs it met with me and gave me a brief tour. “Father Paul” is quite a guy. He’s an ex-Methodist minister, a handyman, a writer, and a self described “extrovert”. I stayed on the bottom level of a house near the lake, and the guy I’m calling “Charlie” stayed on the top level. As Father Paul was showing me around, Charlie came out on the deck. “Hi, Charlie!” I smiled and waved to him.

Nothing. No response. Only a cold look. Charlie was thin, and around 45-years-old. I immediately felt somewhat apprehensive and wondered what kind of guy I was sharing the house with. After Father Paul left me and I got settled in, I read the rules of the house. It was made clear that no smoking was allowed. It was also made clear that retreatants were to leave one another alone to enjoy their time with God. I had been there about two hours when, to my surprise, Charlie came downstairs and introduced himself. He was somewhat socially awkward. He was insistent that I come up and see “his” part of the house. I did. It was pretty much identical to mine, except that I had a washer and a dryer and he did not.

“I will leave you alone,” announced Charlie, “you won’t even know I’m here!”

That night, I had a nightmare! In the dream, Charlie had brought a bunch of undesirable people into the house who were rude to me and tried to steal my things. In the dream, I was angry, and I wandered around trying to find Father Paul. I finally found him, and complained. Then I woke up feeling quite agitated.

Just minutes after waking I HEARD CHARLIE’S VOICE BEHIND ME!

“Here’s a couple biscuits.” he said in a monotone.

I turned around and he was gone. On a saucer were 2 Pillsbury type dinner biscuits he had baked. On the one hand, it seemed kind of bizarre. On the other hand, I tried to tell myself he was just trying to be friendly and helpful. I ate the biscuits along with a bowl of cereal.

That afternoon, I walked down by the lake. There was Charlie fishing. He began talking incessantly about fishing, and also began doing bird calls. After awhile, he went back up to the house. I waited and came up a half hour later. Once again, Charlie came down into my part of the house. He brought a number of brochures about other retreat facilities and insisted on going over them with me. He also insisted on giving me a State of Missouri manual about fishing and a State of Missouri manual about hunting and trapping.

The next morning, I was sitting at a table journaling. At that table were some art supplies with a sign urging guests to help themselves to the art supplies. Obviously some previous retreatants had. There were several nice watercolor paintings displayed on the wall. As I journaled, I had no idea Charlie was standing behind me.

“Them’s real nice pictures!” he announced.

I gasped!

“Charlie, don’t be sneaking up behind me like that!” I said half kidding, but half serious!

He began to tell me that he’s an artist and brought his sketch pad with him. After talking to me for about twenty minutes, Charlie went back upstairs. I began to chuckle about his statement on the day I arrived, “You won’t even know I’m here!” Yeah, RIGHT!

That night, shortly after I finished my supper, Charlie came downstairs again. This time he was in his PAJAMAS! He had brought down his sketch pad.

“I wanted to show you the pictures I done” he announced.

To my shock, the sketch pad was one which had been designed for a young child! There was a cartoon drawing of a pirate and a pirate ship on the cover. When I opened the pictures, the entire sketch pad was like that. It was essentially a child’s coloring book. There were “fill in the dots” exercises, such as, “connect the dots to see what the pirate found”. Charlie had done the “connect the dots” exercises, and had colored each picture. He had also put children’s stickers on each page. He was as proud of that sketch pad as if it was on the level of a famous artist’s paintings.

I was honestly scared. “This guy’s crazy!” is what I thought.

I was nervously pleasant.

“I’d like to visit for awhile.” he announced.

“O.K.” I said, pensively.

We went into the living room. There were two sofas. I sat on one, expecting him to sit on the other. Instead, he sat right next to me as though we were on a date! I began to try to make conversation, while inwardly I was praying, “Lord, what do I do?!”

Suddenly, Charlie got up, went to the other sofa, lay down, and fell asleep!

I went in to the kitchen and cleaned up my dishes. I came back in and woke up Charlie. I nicely told him, “You’ll have to go back upstairs now”. He did, but I knew this was not the last I’d be seeing him.

He had asked me if he could wash his clothes in my apartment the next morning, and I told him he could. I locked and secured the two doors to my bedroom that night! I awoke at 5:10 a.m. to hear a BANGING sound. It was the washer and dryer! Charlie was in the next room doing his laundry!

I got up at 6 and he was back upstairs. The place reeked of smoke. It was obvious he’d been smoking at “my” kitchen table. He came back downstairs and announced he was about to leave. I asked him what time he’d come down to do laundry. No kidding, it was 2 a.m. when he came down!

Charlie went out to his car and started it. He sat “revving” the engine for 20 minutes! My face was pressed against the window, waiting for him to leave. After what seemed like forever, he did!

Boy, what peace I felt.

Mind you, I DID have a great retreat during the times Charlie was not bothering me. But I realized Charlie was part of the retreat. The people God sends to us for ministry are not always the people we’d choose. Relating to them is not always easy! They may be NOTHING like us! They may make us uncomfortable! They may even scare us! But God can show us how to minister to them, if we’ll allow Him to lead and direct us.

Yes, sometimes God sends us people like Charlie and there’s a reason for it!