I was pleasantly surprised after meeting a few people on the streets whom the group talked to. Those people that society considered to be scum were normal people like you and me. One man offered his fries to everyone. One man had an amazing sense of humour.
And then there was Allan and Angie.
We found them lying down near the top of Albert Park (as the bottom of Albert Park is very dangerous to be around at night) with their luggage and a few blankets under and over them. They insisted we sit down and talked to them so we gladly did. My heart was moved by Allan and Angie's heart for God and their strong hope. I was brought to tears when I heard Angie's story about how her family and friends turned on her, her back pains due to emotional stress and abuse, and her struggle to simply exist. I loved how even after all of that ordeal, and her being homeless, she still wanted to hope and help other people in the same situation as her. She really inspired and touched me. The highlight of the night was Allan giving his life to God right then and there. How beautiful it was to see the light in His eyes, and the joy they both had just because we took the time to talk to them and offer them food, money, company, heart. I will never forget them and I will continue to pray for them.
Even though all we offered them was our time and company, some sandwiches and juice boxes, it felt to me that we offered so much more because of how thankful they were. They smile like they are the richest people in the world.
It hit me that this is what REAL christianity is all about. Jesus never ignored the lesser people of socitey. In his eyes, they were the most important. He sat with the hookers, the poor, the lame, the broken, the needy, the outcasts. He gave them God's love, and love was all that was needed. He says in Matthew 25:31-40:
"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then he shall sit on the throne of his glory.
And there will gather before him all the nations, and he will choose them one by one, like the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he sets the sheep from his right and the goats from his left.
That is when the King says to those from his right, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom that was destined for you from the foundations of the universe. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was an outcast and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. '
Then the saintly will say to him, 'Our Lord, when did we see you hungry and we fed you, or you were thirsty and we gave you drink? And when did we see you an outcast and we took you in, or when were you naked and we clothed you? And when did we see you ill or in prison and we came to you?'
And the King replied and told them, 'Amen, I am telling you, that whatever you do for one of these my little brethren, for me you have done that.'
Of course at the beginning I had my doubts.
I felt that touching them would be unclean. But touch is what they long for. Touch might be something that would make them feel somewhat valid again. Touch is what they are deprived of. All I can say is that the fear you have for doing what society looks down upon is cast away by God's perfect love. Truth.
I am definitely going to do this again.
God is so good.
All the time, he is good.
And then there was Allan and Angie.
We found them lying down near the top of Albert Park (as the bottom of Albert Park is very dangerous to be around at night) with their luggage and a few blankets under and over them. They insisted we sit down and talked to them so we gladly did. My heart was moved by Allan and Angie's heart for God and their strong hope. I was brought to tears when I heard Angie's story about how her family and friends turned on her, her back pains due to emotional stress and abuse, and her struggle to simply exist. I loved how even after all of that ordeal, and her being homeless, she still wanted to hope and help other people in the same situation as her. She really inspired and touched me. The highlight of the night was Allan giving his life to God right then and there. How beautiful it was to see the light in His eyes, and the joy they both had just because we took the time to talk to them and offer them food, money, company, heart. I will never forget them and I will continue to pray for them.
Even though all we offered them was our time and company, some sandwiches and juice boxes, it felt to me that we offered so much more because of how thankful they were. They smile like they are the richest people in the world.
It hit me that this is what REAL christianity is all about. Jesus never ignored the lesser people of socitey. In his eyes, they were the most important. He sat with the hookers, the poor, the lame, the broken, the needy, the outcasts. He gave them God's love, and love was all that was needed. He says in Matthew 25:31-40:
"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then he shall sit on the throne of his glory.
And there will gather before him all the nations, and he will choose them one by one, like the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he sets the sheep from his right and the goats from his left.
That is when the King says to those from his right, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom that was destined for you from the foundations of the universe. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was an outcast and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. '
Then the saintly will say to him, 'Our Lord, when did we see you hungry and we fed you, or you were thirsty and we gave you drink? And when did we see you an outcast and we took you in, or when were you naked and we clothed you? And when did we see you ill or in prison and we came to you?'
And the King replied and told them, 'Amen, I am telling you, that whatever you do for one of these my little brethren, for me you have done that.'
Of course at the beginning I had my doubts.
I felt that touching them would be unclean. But touch is what they long for. Touch might be something that would make them feel somewhat valid again. Touch is what they are deprived of. All I can say is that the fear you have for doing what society looks down upon is cast away by God's perfect love. Truth.
I am definitely going to do this again.
God is so good.
All the time, he is good.
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