"whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
Matthew 25:40
I was recently convicted by a post written by my sis Ashley. You can read the post here. It really got me thinking about "the least of these" that I encounter and whether or not I am doing enough. I thought about it. I'm not. Period. I pass by homeless people, trying not to make eye contact, feeling bad that I don't even address them as human beings.
Now don't get me wrong. Most of the homeless that we see along the road in this area are only trying to make a few bucks so they can buy their next beer or a pack of cigs. I get that. I am NOT naive. As a matter of fact, most of the time I am not naive enough. That is part of my problem.
I began to realize that it's not my job to decide whether or not these people are worthy of my time and money. It's not up to me. It's our calling. So, that left me with some serious thinking and praying to do. How can I help them without throwing money at a problem, but yet letting them know that I do see that they are there, that I care and that I want to value their life as Jesus does(even if I am just pretending). I gotta be honest. It's hard for me to care about the homeless that I view as lazy alcoholics who just want to make a buck.
So, here is what I decided that I am going to do. And I am going to ask you to join me. I want to make homeless grab bags. Bags that I can pack with some simple edible healthy items, along with other things such as hygiene items, an encouraging letter, a deck of cards, etc. The possibilities are ENDLESS! It is something that goes beyond a hand out. It is a bag that was prepared with thought, prayer and consideration.
Yep. It might just get thrown in the ditch. I get that. I also get that it might just reach ONE person and put a temporary smile on their face. BUT, it just MIGHT plant a seed that will flourish in to God only knows what.
It's as simple as packing a few items in a small bag that you can keep in your car and hand out to the homeless as you drive by. So, will you join me??
"Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have
entertained angels without realizing it!"
Hebrews 13:2
Gabby actually had us start this a couple of years ago. She collected the little bibles, the military ones, that we put in with a bottle of water, protein bars, and socks. Seems like of little and meaningless to some, and I am sure some got thrown away, but the look on my daughters face and the face of many people who got a bag from Gabby was such a blessing. I don't know what God did after that, but His word does not return void, nor does being obedient to His call. I am with you Katie, we will start doing this again!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! Thanks for sharing Stephanie. It seems like if enough people do it, it will make more of an impact than a dollar here and there or just ignoring them.
DeleteI did this at Christmas time and included a letter about the meaning of Christmas and that Jesus came for them, etc. This was a good reminder to do this frequently. I love your part about it's not up to us to decide if they are worthy of it, it's our responsibility as Christians to "do unto the least of these." Some other ideas for items to include are dried meats or the packets of tuna, sample toiletries (like from hotels). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteloved ashley's post. man, i love some of the ideas up there. especially the socks! k and i used to hand out granola bars until we started learning more about our food and then we felt bad giving out terrible food. we didn't find an alternative before we had kids. then we had kids. then we never re-focused. we were recently talking about how we really need to get it together because our son is at the age that he WILL start noticing how we handle those moments. this has inspired me to do it already! i heard on an interview one time that plastic bags were like gold in the homeless community. thought i'd add that to the idea list. if you hear of any more will you update? i need the inspiration :) maybe i'll just ask someone when i give them a bag? duh. go straight to the source.
ReplyDeleteI just think this is the best idea I have every heard. The author of this is amazing. I am going to buy things today so that I can start this asap.
ReplyDeleteAwesome everyone!
ReplyDeleteWe do this! We keep little bags of granola bars and instant coffee that we can hand out the window in the pockets of our car. The boys love being the one to hand it to the person.
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