We walked up to the door of the downtown mission, and homeless men and women crowded the sidewalk. I looked down at one man sitting on his mat, leaning against the brick wall. With a smile I said, "Hi." He looked surprised to hear me greet him but smiled and nodded back.
This summer I read a book called, "Under The Overpass." The book describes life as a homeless person, and one thing the author says is that even just a "hello" makes all the difference for a man or woman on the streets. So often people walk past them without even looking in their direction. Taking one moment to acknowledge their presence and make eye contact with them, turns their lonely world upside down. They are loved. They are important. They are human.
That inspired my goal for the evening at the mission. In the past it had been to speak Spanish or intentionally smile. But this time, it was simply to make much of these people.
We served dinner that night, and I walked up to one table, asking if there was anything they needed me to get for them. A little lady with short dark hair told me "thank you" for the food and that they were doing fine. And just as I turned to leave, I remembered my goal for the night. I was walking away from the perfect opportunity to make much of this little lady.
I quickly stepped back to face her again and asked her name. She had just taken a bite of her food, but quietly replied, "Dawn." Then as I introduced myself, she stood up and came over to me. Before I knew what she was doing, she had her arms wrapped tightly around me. This was far from what I was prepared for. She didn't smell clean. She probably hadn't had a shower in weeks. But, despite how comfort zone stretching it was for me, that hug probably meant the world to her. And it probably was the means that God had intended for me to love her. Only He knows the last time she was hugged.
My idea of making much of her was simply asking her her name, but God taught me that sometimes it's doing what you're not prepared to do - doing what's uncomfortable for you. For me, that was hugging a homeless woman.
Matthew 25:40 "'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.'"
1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
1 messages:
This is Cassie from Jonah Missions camp. I remember a similar experience....and how much it effected me. I was talking with a homeless man, he was probably in his thirties or so, and when we finished our conversation I asked if I could pray with him. He said "yes" earnestly and I asked him if there was anything in particular I could pray for. After he had told me, I began to pray out loud. I had barely started when he stopped me and held out his hands. When I realized what he wanted, I felt ashamed. Ashamed that I hadn't thought, just hadn't thought. I grasped his hands and we prayed. After that, he thanked me and told me to take care and disappeared into the night. His name was Sam. I went home that night, realizing for the first time how much it meant to these people to be touched in any way, to feel as if they weren't street trash (which they most certainly aren't!). Ever since then, if an appropriate opportunity arises, I will shake their hand, give them a hug, hold their hands when I have an opportunity to pray with them, or simple put a hand on their shoulder.
Sam changed my outlook on them in a huge way and ever since I have sought to give them back their dignity, to show them that the are not untouchable. To treat them as Jesus would.
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