Leo Bartlett is our custodian. He has been at the Rock for a while. He is 4 years sober (4 and a half, I guess, now). He was homeless for a while. He works part time for us, and he and I are usually the first ones at the church. So we sit in the parlor and go over what the Lord is doing in our lives and what "brother Oswald" (My Utmost for His Highest) had to say to us that day.
And then Thursday nights, Leo comes to the community dinner, and he sleeps on the couch, wakes up with us in the morning. I think he loves it when we get to the church, and the boys say, "Bye, Mr. Leo" on their way to school.
Leo is not at the center of leadership in our church. But he is. His presence is a testimony. And it is always good to talk to the people who are not leaders, to see what is really going as opposed to what we think is going on, or what we would like to influence going on.
There's a special bond with Leo, because he and Melissa became friends quickly. She met him only once, I think, but she was quick with a hug and Leo said she looked at him like he was a person. Somewhere in all that, Leo really wanted to get to know her.
Leo, it turns out, is a fierce Jenga player. I can't really do justice to the richness of my life, because of the friends the Lord has given me.
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