It's funny, I clearly remember him telling me his full name when we met, but all I could remember was the name Stephen. He said that it was his 'Christian' name and that his friends called him Stephen. So we were to call him Stephen. He considered us his friend.
I made a point of asking him what his beliefs were...did he believe in God. Oh yes, he believed in God. He was Catholic growing up, but now he considered himself 'Rasta'. I didn't know then and I barely know now exactly what that meant. We did agree that you needed to have God in your life; that knowing God was what was really important.
I saw him about once a week, sometimes more. I always took the time to chat with him about his work, his health, and how his spiritual life was...was he listening to God.
Once he asked for some medicine and a band-aid...he had a NASTY cut on the bottom of his foot that should have had a few stitches and he, for the most part, walked barefoot. I went right back in the store and bought him some neosporin cream and some bandaids. I told him to keep it clean as he could and every night he needed to wash it, put on the medicine and a bandaid.
It healed after a time .... I don't know how, really. God had to be in it.
Other times we would help him with bottles of water, money for rent, lunch or whatever. We had a friend in Stephen and we were willing to love on him and invest in him. The one time that he finally agreed to come to our church, which was very close to where he worked, he ditched us. I guess it just wasn't to be on that day. Next time I saw him I told him that it was okay, maybe another time.
For a few weeks in October, we weren't seeing Stephen. Our 1st thoughts were that he just wasn't working that day that we were in town. We didn't make it into town very many times for several weeks. Then I came back to Ohio, intending to be here for 3 weeks but staying for 7 1/2 weeks!!
Then the news came in an e-mail. Stephen had died. I was simply shattered... unbelievable...
As I read the e-mail I did learn that our friend, Darin knew Stephen also. But knew him as 'Sutherland', Stephens last name. He, too, had invited him to church once and he went!!! Yippee! And even better, found out that he was at the hospital during his brief illness and went to see him and PRAY WITH HIM! Even tho I cried for the loss of Stephen, I was comforted to know that Stephen had prayed to have Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
I will see Stephen or Rodwell Sutherland as he was known to his family, in Heaven. His teeth won't be horribly rotten, his liver will function perfectly and his hair, well, it may still be in dreadlocks pulled back in a pony tail... but he will be my friend.
Stephen was 29 years old. Please pray for his parents, brother Clive and his sisters as they will daily face the loss of their son and brother.
Blessings to you who are reading this...you too, are a friend! Becki
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