OH MAGGIE!

So it has really been a while since we have seen much of Maggie.  As she used to come over all the time, sometimes two or three times a day, the frequent rapping on the door has stopped.  Maybe things are better for her with her husband at home, or maybe we upset her, telling her to go home several times, however, she has returned.  Tonight, I hear the beating on the door, followed by Megan saying, "Hi Maggie!"  We are much friendlier when we see her once a mont, not once an hour.  She continues to say hello, but quickly says, "Is Isaac here?  Isaac or JJ please!"  Of course I know to get my phone ready for her to call.  She knows our house phone no longer works, so she takes the next step of using our personal cell phones.  I can not get it in my heart to say no, so I always dial the number she gives me, then hand the phone to her.

She promises just one call.  One, long call, that she yells the whole time in Spanish at the poor person on the other end.  JJ translates, as I finally realize she is indeed very upset with the woman telling her just to listen, because it is now her time to talk.  Or yell.  The phone call ends, but of course she needs another call.  At what point are you allowed (christian wise) to tell her it is time for her to leave, and show the light of Christ while trying not to be impolite.  It is a very narrow line to walk, but one we do all the time.  It wouldn't be that big of deal, but she always comes at the wrong times.  We were just walking out the door for supper, which had to be delayed for an hour so she could continually yell at people.  This lady is not friendly to ANYONE she calls.  It is very odd.  I could not stand to be the person on the other end, doing my job like I am supposed to be.  

Tonight she called the Social Security people (she said in NYC) and just yelled her lungs out.  I couldn't believe it.  What if they track the phone to me, and think I am some bad person, or think it is my mom, since it is obviously a woman voice.  She has no courtesy while using other people's things.  She gets upset because they ask her to repeat her SS number to them, because her broken English makes it hard for anyone to understand.  Constantly demanding a new person who is polite, she wastes more and more of our time.  Finally, Erin gets up and tells her we really need to be going, as it is getting fairly late.  Of course Maggie responds with, "Who are you to tell me what to do with Isaac's phone?  It is not your phone!"  Well, what do I do now?  I hate these things!  Finally she just hangs ups and leaves because she feels pressured to.

So where do we draw the line?  When we think we had the problem from earlier this year figured out, it seems to be coming back as she promised to be back tomorrow again to try it all over.  In what ways can we learn from Maggie and the way that she is?  Is this a way to reach out to people who are in need, but letting them use up our time and minutes on a phone?  She obviously needs help, but we do not know how to give it to her.  She obviously needs money, but every time she is over she is most definitely drunk and reeks of cigarettes.  We have given and given money to her, but she always needs more!  Is there a way to minister stewardship to her without being completely rude to her?  Sometimes it feel like a lost cause.  I do not remember signing paper work that we would be dealing with this sort of culture in Miami.  I just have to remember that she is part of God's plan somehow.  Possibly, after a few weeks, years or decades after leaving this city, I will know what I learned from having this lady in our house.  Maybe my good deeds will be payed back!  It will be interesting to wait and see.