August 31, 2007
Those who are willing to obey God have lives that are full of adventure. To respond to a prompting or a leading can take you down paths that you would never have expected or believed possible. This week, Denise Gutierrez, our Community Outreach Director called to tell me about a day she will remember for the rest of her life. A story that’s ending is still not written…

So there are some days when you wonder why a certain name or certain thing continues to pop up over and over again. One of those pushes from God to be open and seize the opportunities in front of you. Kind of like a well laid path if you can slow down from what you were planning to do. Today was one of those days. I was up late Tuesday night and had the TV on although I was not really watching. Next thing I know Oprah comes on and there are promotions about her upcoming season. The promo shows how she gave people $1,000 and a video camera and one of her shows will be about what they did with the money – can’t wait to see that one. It’s like what we did with the $20, but biggie sized.  

Wednesday roles around and I call Teresa to find out when staff meeting is that day, and she tells me she had a dream that Oprah called her. Now that’s weird. I don’t really catch her show too often but have gone to her website more than once looking at the information about her new school and her foundation the Angel Network. Anyway – Teresa thinks it weird that she dreamt about Oprah because Linda Cushman had just sent her an email about Oprah and inquiries about grants from her Angel Network. So as Teresa tells me about this weird coincidence, I tell her I was up late and actually watched Oprah’s show last night. Must be some reason we have Oprah on the brain – better take a closer look.  

The day goes on – no staff meeting. I have already made babysitting arrangements, so I decide to keep them. I plan to go by the Cushman’s house and find the crib parts to a crib that has been in my car for two weeks and needs to be delivered to Pennsylvania. I can’t find the parts. Not going to PA. I have a couple of items to return to Walmart and need to exchange a vacuum that broke on our Journey Home project. I go in and there is a line at customer service so I wait patiently. The lady says I can go get the replacement vacuum and come back. I walk out into the store and see what looks like organizational items for back to school but they are set up near the clothes. Boy, they are pushing back-to-school sales hard! No wait – something else is going on. I slow down and actually pay attention and realize that Peter Walsh, the host from The Learning Channel’s “Clean Sweep” is standing right there. I stop and say, “Hi! I watch your show all the time.” So we talk a bit about organizing and chat about my recent vacation to Mexico (he asked where I got my tan.) No one else really stops and interrupts so we keep talking. I mention the Journey Home makeovers we did and how it is very hard to makeover a space in two days and we talked a bit about the work he does. In that he mentions – Oprah. OK now this is weird. So I thank him for the tips and go on my way. 

As I am walking away I am thinking, Denise, you better go back there and talk to him again – you are crazy if you walk out of this store and don’t push this more. This could be a great contact. If you are too pushy it won’t go anywhere, but that’s where it is already going if you simply walk out of the store. Great mind games right? And of course, I have no shopping cart because I was not intending to shop, so now I have this big vacuum in my hands and two cork boards Peter showed me for the kids’ papers. I stop before getting back to his display and pull out my business card. I stop and he says, “You’re back.” I am. I tell him that I had been talking with co-workers about Oprah and it was really weird that he mentioned he would be in Washington, DC next week with the Oprah show and possibly could he pass on my information. We talked about how hard it is to get a connection and I acknowledged that I had been all over the web trying to find a back door contact address so our information might have some chance of reaching the right person. Then he asks me, “What is it you would like Oprah to help you with?” Wow – there are a thousand answers for this one, right? My answer – “I want people to know that they can do home makeovers in their own towns and it doesn’t take a lot of people or a lot of money to change someone’s life.” He then asks me for the 30 second synopses of what we do on this project. 

A Journey Home in 30 seconds – here goes.

We connect with previously homeless families who have completed a transitional housing program and are prepared to be back in a home of their own. Once they have secured their housing we meet with them and discuss what they need and what they want for their new home. We are able to fill the home with furniture and decorate to make their space a place worth coming home to. When they move sometimes they have nothing. We are able to fill the gaps. The families don’t always have funds to spend on furniture and household items since they have just scraped together all the money needed for down payments and security deposits to get into the home. This makes a difference in people’s lives.  

He asks me a few more questions and promised to pass on my card. He said, “Who knows, there is a reason for everything that happens.” Exactly what I was thinking! I told him I will pray for a good outcome. Then he asked the famous question, “What is this 2L2?” God commanded us to love God and love people and we are on a Journey to love God and love people – no strings attached. I told him it really is no strings attached – we require nothing back from the families.  

As I left the store I was a bit freaked out. God really did give me the answers to all of those questions. I have spoken about the Journey Home so many times, but mostly to people I know. This was different, and I am praying that my meeting with Peter Walsh was no accident – that the path God laid has something amazing waiting. If not – at least I have two really cool cork boards to help keep my kids organized this school year!

Bob

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