During the summer drought of '91, the heat from the highway seemed to come right through the window of the Upper Room Mission.It was that dry, sticky, miserable heat that made a morning seem longer than it really was. I was waiting for an artist from the streets.

Earlier that morning, on my way to the mission, I saw a man painting on a canvas at the Dalton Green. I recognized him as a man known to travel through Dalton every year, stopping at the local missions to eat and go to church. I had never seen any of his work but I had heard about it. I parked nearby and went over to where he was. As we talked, he continued painting. I thought his work was very good. I invited him to the mission for lunch and asked him if he could paint a mural on one of our walls.

Later, as he ate lunch, we discussed what he would paint. We looked through a number of books for ideas. When his work for the day was finished we had a beautiful sketch of two old testament characters, Eliezer and Rebekah, talking by a well. The finished drawing was oval in shape, six feet high and three feet wide. He said he would come again and add color to it.

At the time he drew the mural he was living under one of the interstate bridges. Each day he would walk to the park and paint pictures for people. During this time he had to move from the bridge to some woods on the north end of town. There he made his camp.

Several days passed and he came to the mission. He looked like he had lost his best friend. Someone had taken all his paints, brushes and canvases.

With his talent he had left for all who come to the mission a beautiful gift. Thinking of this, and the pleasure his talent could bring to others, I saw that at least some of his artists supplies were replaced before he moved on.

Large numbers of people pass through the mission doors. Many are "takers". But sometimes our lives are refreshed by those who leave behind a bit of beauty.