INVISIBLE GUARDIANS

In 1980, 25-year-old Dave of Maine started to feel one of those
inner urges that defy logic and reason. He had a strong impulse to open a
gathering place for the homeless or people down on their luck. "I thought
of providing them a soft drink or coffee or something to eat,
along with hugs and some words of encouragement," Dave says. "Most
importantly, I wanted them to learn about the bible, and hopefully accept Jesus
into their hearts."

This "heavenly nudge" grew stronger over the next few years. But
Dave argued with it. How could he open such a place? True, he has
always lived a life of service and helped on similar projects through the
church.. But he was a truck driver, not a minister and he had a family to
support, with nothing left over for rent on a drop-in center. The whole
idea was impossible.

But Dave continued to think about it. Street people led hard
lives, he knew; not only were they hungry and often cold in Maine's hard
climate, they were vulnerable to threats from those stronger than them.
Recently, a man had been murdered in the middle of the night and thrown over the
bridge over the Penobscot river. The police had not found his attackers. And
without some kind of safe oasis, Dave thought, such a thing was sure to
happen again.

Finally Dave drove to downtown Bangor about 10:00pm one September
evening, It wouldn't hurt to at least look at possible sites. "I need
nighttime hours to think quietly, and I thought it would be easier to check
out storefronts without being distracted by traffic." He says. He
parked and walked through the neighbourhoods, looking at abandoned buildings.
Some possibilities, but nothing definite.

At 1 a.m., Dave was ready to call it quits. But he hadn't
investigated Brewer yet, the city that lies across the Penobscot bridge form
Bangor. He would look at a few sites there, then head for home. The street
was deserted as Dave started walking up the bridge. Then a car approached from
Brewer. As its headlights caught him, the car slowed.

Uneasily, Dave realised that there was three man inside. Despite
the cool hightair, their windows were rolled down. "Lets throw him over!"
Dave heard one of them say. The car stopped, all three jumped out and
came toward him.

Horrified, Dave suddenly recalled the murder of the street person.
It had been in this bridge! Had these three men done it? He would be no
match for them, he knew his only option was to pray that he survived the
icy water. But as he looked down, he realised that the tide had
gone out, and only rocks and dirt were directly below him."God help me,"
Dave murmured.

Immediately he felt a presence near him, something unseen but
definitely there. A warm safe feeling flooded him. His fear vanished, and
he knew, without knowing quite how he knew, that he was not alone. Now the
men were almost upon Dave. All three were large muscular and leering."Get
him!" One shouted. Suddenly they stopped "They all stared at me, then
looked to the left and right of me," Dave stays."They seem terrified. One said,
'Oh, my God!" They turned and began shoving one another to get back into
the car. And when they sped away-it sounded like they tore the
transmission right out-I could still hear them cursing and yelling,'Run, run!"

Dave stood for a moment on the deserted bridge, basking in the
warmth that still surrounded him. What was it? What had the men seen?
Whatever it was, it had shielded him from certain death. "Thank you, God," he
whispered. He felt exalted, so buoyant that he decided to go to the Brewer and
finish his search. As he crossed the rest of the bridge, Danny, a friend of
his, drove by, honked at him, and kept going, unmindful
of Dave's narrow escape. Dave waved, still surrounded by peace.

A while later, Dave came across some derelicts standing on a
Brewer street corner. But as he approached, they all fell back. One put his
hands over his eyes."You're shining!"he whispered. "It hurts to look!" "I can
feel the Holy Spirit all around you!" said another, as he inched away.
Dave was awed. It was heaven's glow surrounding him, it had to be! But he
wasn't absolutely positive until he ran into Danny the next day.

"Sorry I didn't stop for you last night on the bridge," Danny
said "But I had passengers and I could never could have fit all of you in my
car, too." "All of us?' Dave asked, puzzled.

"Those three huge guys walking with you," Danny explained." They
were the biggest people I had ever seen. One must be at least seven feet
tall!" Dave never resisted a heavenly nudge again. He opened and funded
a Bangor coffeehouse in 1986, which is still running today under a
friend's management. At least 100 people are fed every night, with coffee,
hugs-and the word of the Lord.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for Thou art with me"

Ps 23:4