Last Sunday

The Relief Society lesson was just about to start. It was my turn to conduct the meeting and I was turning the time over to our instructor. No sooner than I sat down, I heard the sound of someone hocking a loogie out in the hall. That's not a usual sound in church so I looked up.  A man in casual dress and a heavy coat was coming to our Relief Society room. He stopped and stood in the doorway just staring at the women. I couldn't see his full appearance from where I was sitting but I had a terrible feeling.

I stood up, walked to the back of the room, approaching the man, "Can I help you?" That's when I got a closer look at him. He was about five inches taller than me. His head was shaved, he had three letters tattooed over his right eyebrow, a piercing on his left brow, and a couple of names tattooed with gangster cursive on his neck. His coat was thick, covering the rest of his arms and body. He was terribly restless and upset. I tried to see what he was there for but he just kept saying things that didn't make any sense. Clearly, he was angry.

"You guys did this to me!!! Your people keep putting me in the hospital and I don't want to deal with it anymore!!! Stop putting me in the hospital! You guys did this to my mother too! It's not fair, man! I don't want to be trouble, man. I'm innocent. I'm innocent. You guys won't believe me!" He said some other things too but honestly, nothing was cohesive. He hocked another loogie onto the floor. I think he was high on something. Unsure of what his intentions were, I encouraged him to walk with me down the hall and away from the end of the building where the women and primary children meet. My intention was to walk him toward the chapel where I was sure the brethren met so I could "call for back-up".

I asked him what he meant by "you guys".
He couldn't give a clear answer. I didn't want to aggravate him.

As we walked, I noticed he had some items he was fidgeting with inside his coat. Outwardly, I was completely calm. Inwardly, I was thinking, "Crap! This guy might have a gun!!" I tried to focus on what was in his hands. It was only a lighter and a canister of some sort - Still, they could be dangerous. Wondering what he was planning on doing with the items, I kept alert.  I looked into the chapel and didn't see any brethren there. No one seemed to be in the Stake offices either. I said a silent prayer that Heavenly Father would send some brethren out to help me.

I felt impressed to touch him on the shoulder and tell him he would be okay. "You are loved." I said over several times. His expression changed and he started weeping. I continued, "It's okay, I know you are hurting right now. You are scared but it's going to be okay." I put my arm half-way around him giving a side hug. I suppose that gesture was a little risky on my part and totally unexpected by him. But I also knew he would be lest likely to try something violent if I could keep him from going back to his rant.He started crying and asked as he sobbed, "What is your name?"
"Alicia." I said.
"Thank you, Alicia." He cried some more.  "I love you Alicia." He laid his head on my shoulder.

At that moment, my silent prayer from earlier was answered, the Bishop and his two counselors came into the foyer where the man and I were standing. I felt absolutely relieved, grateful "back-up" had arrived. Their presence brought me a great deal of comfort.

The stranger spit another loogie on the church floor. Brother Anderson ordered him to clean it up which made the man agitated.  I stepped out of the way. The brethren asked where he was from or if he had a place to stay. He answered in more fragmented unrelated sentences. The only part I understood was when he started talking about some gang he's involved in.

I noticed another sister in the foyer while all of this had been unfolding. I had been oblivious to her because I was so focused on this man. And she was oblivious to the possible danger of our visitor. She had seen me with him but she just thought, "Oh there's Sister Rawlins hugging and talking with someone again." She only discovered the trouble after the brethren had arrived and I sat down next to her and explained what was going on. I told her that we had better leave and go back to the Relief Society room, just to be safe.

I was so happy that this woman was there though! She has been struggling with her belief in God and this was an opportunity for me to share how my prayer was answered within only a few seconds in the scene that had just unfolded. Because of the danger of the situation, she also willingly came with me back to Relief Society (a place she has avoided for months.) We arrived with only five minutes left of class.

She called me after our family arrived home from church. She thanked me for being brave with the man. She wanted to visit again and asked if she and her husband could bring some food over to our house. "Of course!" I thanked her. We were soon enjoying a pleasant evening of conversation, laughter, and friendship. I reflected later that night how wonderful the Lord is. I had been pleading and praying for opportunities to open up with this very sister. I didn't expect that opportunity to come the way it did. But I'm glad.