Pray for Bebe

On Skid Row tonight I talked for over an hour with Bebe. Bebe is a homeless man I met over two years ago at Skid Row on two different occasions, and was one of the first guys I got to share the gospel with through this ministry. Bebe was one of the bitterest guys I've every met. Two years have passed, and now, he's even more bitter. From what I gather, he probably spent about 16 months in prison since I last saw him, and was probably raped while he was there. He's mad about the cops and prison, mad about being repressed as a black man, mad about not having a wife or kids or "his own castle", mad about his pride and his "manhood" being taken away, mad about being homeless, mad about being stereotyped as homeless, mad about Hispanics "taking over", mad about everything. I got an hour's brief summary of what he's mad about. In the world's eyes, he has the right to be bitter. But from a God-centered perspective, God has been so gracious to Bebe already!

"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God..."
-Ephesians 2:1-4a

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
-2 Peter 3:9

Although I cannot explain it theologically, I believe this verse truly means that God wishes for all to come to repentance. I fully believe in God's complete sovereignty in predestinaiton and his election of only a few, but in some way that our minds cannot comprehend He truly does wish for all to repent. Even Bebe.

Tonight I am thankful for God's "slowness" in the world's eyes and my own eyes, which in reality is the incredible patience of God. My conversation with Bebe tonight was so discouraging. But I also saw God's patience tonight. Two years ago I was able to share the gospel with him and he clearly rejected it, and by God's grace he heard it again tonight! I sense the sovereignty of God giving Bebe another opportunity to repent and make Jesus his Lord and Savior. It seems that if I was really trying to affirm the sovereignty of God, I'd be telling you how Bebe got saved tonight. Nope. He still doesn't believe the Word of God. Maybe he never will. But maybe he's getting closer, and God is yet patient with him. Somehow, even though God already has or has not elected Bebe before the foundations of the earth, He wishes that he would come to repentance. I don't understand, I sure don't, but thankfully this abases my intellectual pride and shows me one great thing: even though I don't know, I can fully rely upon God to execute His perfect will.

Thanks God for being patient with Bebe tonight.
And thanks for your patience with me.
But for Your grace, I am that man.