PEOPLE OF THE TRACKS

In my prior blog  “A tribute to Linda…Life Matters” I shared the true story of two lives that by the worlds standard seemed insignificant and quite ordinary. Shortly after, I received an email from Linda telling me how she and Al enjoyed hearing their story.  What I didn’t know about Linda is that she literally sacrificed her entire life, family and health for the “People of the Tracks”.  This “unknown” woman has lived her life doing extraordinary work in the ordinary of life.   

Do you remember the movie Civil Action starring John Travolta? It was a true story about a water contamination legal case in Woburn, Massachusetts. This is the exact town where Linda has been ministering to the homeless who lived by the train tracks all year round. 

Linda asked me if I could share the story of Captain Tom. He was another one of her homeless friends who always wore a captains hat, which is why he was known in the community as Captain Tom.  

Captain Tom like Al was another tormented soul that sailed the greater part of his life with a liquor bottle in this hand.  He might have started his journey differently than the others at the tracks but he eventually ended up at the same destination. It is told that Captain Tom was a “functioning” alcoholic able to work and be drunk at the same time.  He was familiar with the people of the tracks and lived a life of denial thinking he would never end up at that address.  As time passed his addiction consumed his entire life and he like the others had to dock his boat at the port of the train tracks.

For many years Linda witnessed to Captain Tom never missing an opportunity to tell him about the love of Jesus.  Week after week Linda invited him to church and finally one Sunday he hesitantly came along. The Lord touched Captain Tom and a seed of belief was planted in his heart.  He didn’t change he continued his life of addiction and approximately 15 years after that seed was planted Linda witnessed the fruit of her labor.  

Captain Tom ended up in a wheelchair when one day Linda saw him wheeling himself into the liquor store.  To his surprise Linda went after him and said, “Tom come to church with me the Lord does not want you drinking”.  

Eventually Captain Tom was so sick he lived his remaining years in elderly housing and Linda would visit him frequently. She would tell him how much the Lord loved him and she never quit inviting him to church. Until one day Captain Tom said if you cut my finger nails I will go to church with you. Of course, Linda was happy to fulfill his request.

Sunday came and as he sat in church he wept the entire service. The Pastor turned to him and said,” Sir, are you saved”? He looked at Linda and said, “What is he talking about?” Linda, said “Tom have you accepted Jesus as your Savior”?  That Sunday, Captain Tom received Jesus as his Lord adding his name to the Book of Life like many of the other “people of the track”.

A couple of weeks later Captain Tom was admitted to the hospital and Linda spent hours praying with him and assuring him he had nothing to fear.  As he laid in that hospital bed ready to cross into eternity he tightly held Linda’s hand as she told him about the beautiful journey he was going to embark. That night Linda received a call that Captain Toms soul had sailed across the horizon to be reunited with the many other "people of the track” that came to receive Jesus.

 I pray these stories have deepened your view of the value of a human soul as they have mine. For we serve a merciful God.

  Let’s us remember the words of King David in Psalm 136:

Who remembered us in our lowly state,
     For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies,
    For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh,
   For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
    For His mercy endures forever.