I Hugged a Homeless Lady!

The challenge was put before us by our church to find a way that we can serve in our community. Serve in the way that God told us to so that we would be known by what? By our love. Our love for those we see every day, for those we see occasionally, for those we only see once in our life. We are called to love and we are called to serve.

John 13: 34 - 35 "Love one another, just as I have love you."

To be LIKE Christ, we must DO like Jesus.

Where would Jesus have been on a Friday night on a Saturday afternoon? I've heard this comment before, but it didn't stick out to me in the same way it has recently. We think of Jesus in Heaven watching us and hearing our prayers, but Jesus was a human and he walked the earth as we do. What did he do with his spare time? He taught, he healed, he prayed, he was a friend, a son, a traveler. How did he interact with people who he knew or those he didn't know? He performed acts of kindness so that he would be known not only by his miracles and teachings, but by his love.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

The Lord of creation came to earth to be a servant performing acts as lowly as washing his disciples feet. The feet of those He knew would betray Him even!

Our community group spent a Friday night and a Saturday volunteering at a homeless shelter. Not the most comfortable place to be, but we were able to clean everything, paint, hang new blinds and visit with some of the people staying there. This is a place where people can come and find food and shelter on-going. Some are there for long periods of time and some are in and out after one night.

Friday night we were washing down the walls and doors in the hallway and a woman about 30 came through with her 5 year old daughter. They were headed to the end of the hall where they would spend the night surrounded by painted cinder-block walls and cafeteria-style flooring. Later we would find out there is a younger daughter as well, age 3.

All these feelings came over me thinking about that woman and her two little girls. What was her story? How did they end up here? I thought about the Will Smith movie where he sleeps with is son on the floor in a public bathroom. I thought about how we felt the first couple days after our house fire when we had nothing to call our own and slept in borrowed clothes, with borrowed blankets and ate from someone elses pantry. The movie, was just a movie. Our loss after the fire is past history and was so short-lived. This woman faces this every day. This is her "normal".

I had the opportunity to go back on Saturday and gift two pink Leapsters and several games to those two little girls and as I heard their sweet thank you I wondered why I would want to do anything else with my day. The woman was so thankful and yet was hesitant in showing her gratitude not knowing how it would be received.

She finally asked me, "Can I hug you?"

I said, "Of course", and hugged her tightly without reserve.

I hugged a homeless lady; someone I may never meet again. An experience not on my "life's list of to-do's", but definitley one I wouldn't want to have missed. I hope that I remember the experience and that her family reminds me of the many ways that I can serve. The many people who have needs much larger than mine. May I live a life so that I am recognized by family, friends and strangers by my love. Jesus' love.