Yes

By Andi Tauber, Stories from the Streets Co-Director

My personal relationship with Bill began the day he sought me out in the Ministry Center. I was surprised, because we hadn’t talked much before. He asked if he could talk to me in the chapel.

It was there that i first heard some of Bill’s story, which was painful enough, but he shared it just as a backdrop to what he really wanted to talk about. He had been attending a church, and had finally summoned up the courage to get honest with them. When he opened up about his past to some of the leadership, he was quietly frozen out of church life. This was extremely painful for Bill, and he sobbed as he talked about trying to be vulnerable and honest, and being rejected for it.

That day cemented our friendship. I can’t tell you how many times Bill has told me how the Holy Spirit told him to seek me out that day, and how my weeping and praying with him showed him how much i cared.

Despite this painful interaction with the Body of Christ, Bill remains committed to pursuing God. Even through relapses and struggles, he has never swerved from revering Christ and wanting to please God. He has kept going to church (although not to that one), and desires to serve his church brothers and sisters.

Bill has since moved away from Chicago, but he’s still in touch. He’s doing well, going to AA meetings, and working the steps. The other day he was telling me over the phone about getting on the bus that morning and being overwhelmed with God’s love and mercy. He said that, inside, he prayed, “God, you deserve a yes. Yes, yes, yes. All day long.”

I grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote that down as we continued to talk. After praying together and saying goodbye, i wrote it on the whiteboard in the office. You could do worse for a daily prayer:

“God, you deserve a yes. Yes, yes, yes. All day long.”