HMM...
To be honest, it's been quite a while since I've updated and there are some things I'd like to mention but after reading Alex's blog, I don't feel it's the time. Instead, I'll post one of my journal entries from when I did a sandwich run back in mid-May:
I don’t know what to say. It’s been a very different experience. Doing the sandwich run today was something I’ve never done before and I’m still trying to digest my thoughts. I want to do it again. I want to be able to listen more, I want to be there more for them. Right before we met our first homeless person, Karen told me how whenever she comes downtown with a friend, she’d always buy a couple of taco bell’s or something just to hand out. She’d never really had a chance to talk to them though; which is something we're trying to do this time...to really spend some time getting to know them better. The first guy we encountered just wanted food. We didn’t really get a chance to get to know him better because there were so many of us. But he was friendly. Wasn’t rude or scary or anything. Very civil.
After the group split up, the second guy we met was one that really touched me. He was a middle Eastern who said hi to me as we were walking by. So we stopped to chat and to offer him some food. He wanted a ham & cheese and I asked where he was from. He said somewhere that I couldn’t quite hear and then he made a joke about how I didn’t know my geography. He bowed a lot to us. Sometimes from the waist and once on one knee. So we bowed back. The part that really moved me was when he asked me what was the first thing I did when I saw him. I wasn’t sure so I said, “Hi?”. He disagreed and so I said “Would you like a sandwich?” and he said “No”. He said, “you smiled at me”. He called me an angel face and told me to never stop smiling. And he told me to smile for his mother (whom I assume is in heaven). He said that I had a dimple, just like him. Now that I think about it, we do have a lot of similarities. As Joannie read yesterday in Psalms 22:2 “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all”. I am so amazed at how the Lord is working in and through them. So many have felt God’s presence, even in their situations.
Like the third woman that we saw sitting on a bench. She had a shopping cart full of cardboard boxes – some with writing on it, relating to hunger and God. When we asked which sandwich she wanted she said egg, that it was her favourite. Then she said that she was hungry, and asked if she could have another. She was great to talk to, and ask us which church we were from. She told us that she went to the city hall but didn’t see any church people and ask if we knew if they handed out food there on Saturdays. Then ask we talked, she told us about needing to go to Baltimore because her green card has expired for 3 weeks and she needed to renew it but she needed to get $200 to pay for the bus. She had all her tickets but it was stolen before and she left it on the bus another time. Apparently she was from Windsor but had married an American who died. She was waiting for next week to come around so she can get her $195 but until then she’s broke and has no food. She told us how God was good to her because she was hungry and He sent us.
The fourth guy we talked to joked that he didn’t do drugs as we approached him. When we offered him food, he asked for juice. And then he asked for the sandwich as well. He told us that he doesn’t normally panhandle but likes to see if he can get a couple of smiling faces. He was so amazed by the four slices of ham inside the sandwich and joked about that being why we didn’t want to give it to him.
The last guy we saw also asked for juice. We got to talk to him for about because as we approached him he asked me if I knew Christ. Just like that. He then told me how wonderful God was because it didn’t matter how many times we screwed up, He’d still be there. He introduced himself and gave his hand for a handshake. I was taken aback because Peter had warned us not to touch anyone. But I’m glad he did that because it reminded me that this was something I would normally do if I net someone for the first time. I asked him about the books he had in his pocket and he said that those were for light reading. He opened the knapsack that he was sitting on showed us a few of the books that he was reading. “Warlock” and some other fantasy novels. I wish I could donate my books to them. He told us that his favourite book was the book of Isaiah. I want to know why now. I’m amazed at how much love these people have for God. That He is all that they rely on and they have that complete trust that God will provide.
An amazing thing happened during our debriefing. Since it was outside, it was pretty cold and we sat on benches newar some homeless people. One of them came over during our meeting and offered a bagful of food. Said he had too much and thought we should have it, and then left it for us. Amazing. Even in their own need, this man gave to others. Why can’t I be more like him?
Peter asked a good question at our debriefing. He asked us “where do we find our security?” Do I find my security in my home? My possessions? These people do have any of those things. Or if they do, it’s often robbed from them. Many times, all the security they have, they find from God. Why can’t my security come from God instead of materialistic belongings? It’s so true. If Jesus really was here, he wouldn’t be among us preaching. He’d be where they are, loving them, caring them and teaching them. I would like to do that, but more so, learn from them. There is so much to know.
The second thing that I realized that my blessing. God gave me a smile. I remember talking to my mom about finding spiritual gifts when we were on a plane coming back from Winter con and I told her that I thought my gift was my smile. I guess I truly realized how much this gift was meant to be shared today…shared with EVERYONE, no one excluded! So many of them are just looking for some recognition, to be acknowledge and greeted. How horrible is that? To go through a day without getting one smile...I seriously don't believe God intended it to be this way. I mean, He had to make smiles possible for a reason or else it couldn't be such a universal gesture.
Another amazing thing happened as we were going on the train back up. As we were having a discussion, a woman sitting next to Karen asked if we were students. When we said yes, she said that she was really encouraged to see such wholesome kids our age. She said that even before she heard us talking about God, that we had the ‘expression of Jesus’. She said she had heard of people talking about it but never really experienced it until today and told us that it was such a good witness to others. I am constantly in awe by the people God has placed in my life. He has blessed me with so many opportunities and experiences and I just pray that I will make use of all that He has provided to me.
So yes, I'm glad I got to read Alex's blog. Its helped to refocus my time with God - less on worldly worries, more sincere listening in my prayer please.
Read Users' Comments (0)