Police officers see an awful lot when they’re on duty. And they often see the homeless, and the pain they have in their faces.
One night, at about 2:30 in the morning, Deputy Matt Holman of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office spotted a man walking down the road. It was Robert Morris, a struggling homeless man. Matt stopped his car and spoke with Robert. Robert told him he had lost several of his family members, and he made some bad choices after that, including severing the ties with his only remaining relatives… a brother and sister.
He was walking down the road, he told the deputy, because the only real possession he had – a tent – had been washed away during a recent storm. The time Matt spent talking with Robert touched him. So he went to his car to find a spare Bible, but he couldn’t find it. So he did something that many probably would not even consider doing. He gave Robert his own personal Bible, the one he had carried with him for years, with his own special notes.
He then drove Robert to a restaurant and the two sat and had a nice, warm meal. After that, the two said their goodbyes, and Matt wished Robert the best of luck. And then, sometime later, Robert phoned into the police department and told the dispatch worker his story about Matt.
This is a portion of that conversation: “He was one of the nicest people I’d ever met in my life. At that time in my life, I was really messed up on drugs and alcohol. Well, lemme tell ya a story about Mr. Holman. He asked if I needed anything and I said, “yeah, a Bible,’ then he got in his trunk and thought he had an extra Bible back there and he couldn’t find one so he closed the trunk, stood there for a minute then he opened back up the trunk and he gave me his personal Bible.”
Robert went on to tell the dispatcher that Deputy Holman took him somewhere and bought him a meal. Robert went on to tell the dispatcher: “Ya know, that man’s a hero.”
Matt said he wrestled with the idea of giving Robert his personal Bible, but that he felt God telling him that Robert needed it more than him. He had also tried to get Robert into a shelter, but they were all full.
Six months later, Matt received a voicemail from Robert. So Matt called him back and Robert thanked him for what he had done. He then told Matt that because of HIM, he checked himself into a mental health facility, got off the drugs and alcohol, and reconciled his relationship with his brother and sister, and that he was no longer living on the street… moving back in with a family member.
He told Matt, “It’s because of what you done that night… you stopping me… that saved my life.”
Sadly, a short time after Robert called the dispatcher, he unexpectedly passed away. But Matt and those he work with are confident that the last several months of Robert’s life were probably some of the best he had had in a long time. And that he left this world a renewed man.
We are sure you enjoyed the above story… watch for more: https://youtu.be/0o950UZDgY4?t=90
