This week has been quite stressful for me. Things have not gone like I planned. I've had to change product deliveries a couple of times, missed taking my daughter to lunch for her 20th Birthday all due to circumstances beyond my control. Fortunately everyone was very gracious and understanding.
Today, after I finished my "real" job, I needed to make one of those deliveries. It's about 15 miles from where I work, so I stopped at that coffee place, you know the one with the siren, to get some ice tea. I know it's February, but I live in Phoenix, I wanted ice tea. I pulled into the parking space and saw a homeless young man walking behind my vehicle. He asked if I had some change so he could get a donut or something to eat. I dug to the bottom of my purse where my change likes to gather, pulled out a handful and gave it to him. He of course thanked me and told me "God bless", and went on his way.
After I bought my $3.00, ok almost $4.00, I got back in my truck and drove off. As I got to thinking, I wish I would have told him "sure I'd be happy to give you some change, but what I'd love to do is buy you a sandwich". I wish I would have walked in proudly with him, bought him some lunch, set and talked to him for a few minutes. I know it would have made my day, but it may have made his week, month, even his year. Not because it was me, but because someone took the time to look beyond his dirty clothes and hands and spend time just talking to him as a fellow human being.
These past months, God has been softening my heart to see beyond the way homeless people look and to see that they are people. Someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, maybe even husband, wife, father or mother whose life choices or circumstances have put them in that situation.
I'm challenging myself and I'd like to challenge to you too, to take a closer look, to see the heart of others in every situation, homeless or not.
I'm not going to apologize for not talking about pretty things but in reality, what could be more beautiful than taking a few moments to show love to someone that may not be lovely in our eyes.
Matthew 10:42 "And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded."
Matthew 25:40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"