Who was taught more?
Saturday,
I thought I would try to blog the events of the morning. I'm still thinking and trying to figure out some stuff so here goes.
This morning I went with my friend Tanya, and some youth from her church along with her brother-in-law, Wayne to pass out food, hats, shoes, gloves, etc to people we encountered on the street who might need them. Wayne was trying to teach the young people about the daily need of persons, right here in the city, who are homeless, etc. Our usual thing to do is to make sandwiches, pack colas, snacks, anything that numerous people might donate, sweats, shoes, pants, but mainly gloves, hats, socks etc. to give to people that we see walking down the street that are without those things.
Most people we encountered were very glad to see us and were polite. They showed their generous spirit by looking around , being sure each one got some of the items we were giving out. We went by the Jefferson Street mission-I think Wayside- and told a man outside that we had these various items if anyone needed them. Many people came out of the building to see what we had.The youth helped pass them out, excitely, and actually wanted to go home and get some of their own stuff, because there was just not enough. They saw, old people, young people, black, white, men and women. Today there were no children, but I have gone on these "rides" before where there were children also. I know that youth group definitely went away changed.
We started down one of the side streets of preston, having a few items left to pass out and we encountered three men. Two were jovial and polite, although intoxicated, they were able to speak and get the items. The third man was very unstable, his nose was running profusely,and his hands were beet red from the cold. As we encountered him, just trying to give him a soda, snack and some hat and gloves, he angrily kept asking us "Why do you want to help me? What makes you think I need help?" I don't remember what Tanya said to him, but he calmed down and then asked about God. He said "God made everything - right? Well who made Lucifer? We told him God and he said, Why, I'm tired of battling Lucifer, I'm just so tired, I just want to go and lay down somewhere, I don't want to fight anymore." For that split moment, all of us standing around him related. None of us said a word because we had all been there at one or more times in our life. Just seeing what we were seeing, caused us to understand EXACTLY what this man was trying to say. I don't remember what happened next, except the man had lost his gray bag. We begin to look for it as he proceeded to ramble on.
This made me think, Why was I trying to help this man, and what made me think I could. I could identify with being tired of it, meaning the evil in this world. I wanted to say, I'm doing this because this is what CHRIST wants us to do. Its funny because there was this other church van that wanted to haul them to a bible study. Although well meaning, the people were hungry and cold so they came to us. I don't mean to judge but even Christ took care of our needs first before He told us the really good news, after all, were human.
No, passing out socks, etc is not going to change alot for the person on the street. But, it helps me understand I want to learn more, about what I might say the next time, maybe that Christ loves us and he and we ALL are worth helping. It helped me examine attitudes I have about thinking that being poor is NOT out of everyone's control (except the innocent children) or circumstances beyond control, its about life choices we all make. I realized I have to learn about what motivates me. Is it about me wanting to feel good? probably some.
In Jay's class we are learning about that very thing. Most people don't want to do anything because its all or nothing, like what serious difference will anything like that make? The only answer I have right now is I want to learn more about WHAT to do, because we are all in this together. We have all felt tired of it all, whether poor in spirit or in financial matters, or any hopeless situation.
I'm not going to say anymore, because like with that man, I have to examine my heart, my motives, and what Christ would want me to say to the next person, the next time. And there will be a next time. The man reminded me about hopelessness. I know what that feels like, and that I couldn't save him, but I do care, I really do. Even with all my judgemental attitudes and getting things wrong sometimes, I want to do it, till I get it right, whatever that means. So, I'll process this some more and I KNOW God will reveal to me what He wants me to know, and eventually what He wants me to do. All I know is , I'm praying for everyone I saw today, especially that man, and I sure hope he found his gray bag.
I thought I would try to blog the events of the morning. I'm still thinking and trying to figure out some stuff so here goes.
This morning I went with my friend Tanya, and some youth from her church along with her brother-in-law, Wayne to pass out food, hats, shoes, gloves, etc to people we encountered on the street who might need them. Wayne was trying to teach the young people about the daily need of persons, right here in the city, who are homeless, etc. Our usual thing to do is to make sandwiches, pack colas, snacks, anything that numerous people might donate, sweats, shoes, pants, but mainly gloves, hats, socks etc. to give to people that we see walking down the street that are without those things.
Most people we encountered were very glad to see us and were polite. They showed their generous spirit by looking around , being sure each one got some of the items we were giving out. We went by the Jefferson Street mission-I think Wayside- and told a man outside that we had these various items if anyone needed them. Many people came out of the building to see what we had.The youth helped pass them out, excitely, and actually wanted to go home and get some of their own stuff, because there was just not enough. They saw, old people, young people, black, white, men and women. Today there were no children, but I have gone on these "rides" before where there were children also. I know that youth group definitely went away changed.
We started down one of the side streets of preston, having a few items left to pass out and we encountered three men. Two were jovial and polite, although intoxicated, they were able to speak and get the items. The third man was very unstable, his nose was running profusely,and his hands were beet red from the cold. As we encountered him, just trying to give him a soda, snack and some hat and gloves, he angrily kept asking us "Why do you want to help me? What makes you think I need help?" I don't remember what Tanya said to him, but he calmed down and then asked about God. He said "God made everything - right? Well who made Lucifer? We told him God and he said, Why, I'm tired of battling Lucifer, I'm just so tired, I just want to go and lay down somewhere, I don't want to fight anymore." For that split moment, all of us standing around him related. None of us said a word because we had all been there at one or more times in our life. Just seeing what we were seeing, caused us to understand EXACTLY what this man was trying to say. I don't remember what happened next, except the man had lost his gray bag. We begin to look for it as he proceeded to ramble on.
This made me think, Why was I trying to help this man, and what made me think I could. I could identify with being tired of it, meaning the evil in this world. I wanted to say, I'm doing this because this is what CHRIST wants us to do. Its funny because there was this other church van that wanted to haul them to a bible study. Although well meaning, the people were hungry and cold so they came to us. I don't mean to judge but even Christ took care of our needs first before He told us the really good news, after all, were human.
No, passing out socks, etc is not going to change alot for the person on the street. But, it helps me understand I want to learn more, about what I might say the next time, maybe that Christ loves us and he and we ALL are worth helping. It helped me examine attitudes I have about thinking that being poor is NOT out of everyone's control (except the innocent children) or circumstances beyond control, its about life choices we all make. I realized I have to learn about what motivates me. Is it about me wanting to feel good? probably some.
In Jay's class we are learning about that very thing. Most people don't want to do anything because its all or nothing, like what serious difference will anything like that make? The only answer I have right now is I want to learn more about WHAT to do, because we are all in this together. We have all felt tired of it all, whether poor in spirit or in financial matters, or any hopeless situation.
I'm not going to say anymore, because like with that man, I have to examine my heart, my motives, and what Christ would want me to say to the next person, the next time. And there will be a next time. The man reminded me about hopelessness. I know what that feels like, and that I couldn't save him, but I do care, I really do. Even with all my judgemental attitudes and getting things wrong sometimes, I want to do it, till I get it right, whatever that means. So, I'll process this some more and I KNOW God will reveal to me what He wants me to know, and eventually what He wants me to do. All I know is , I'm praying for everyone I saw today, especially that man, and I sure hope he found his gray bag.
posted by The Curl @ 4:14 PM
2 Comments:
At 6:30 PM,
A Flowered Purse said…
aw what a great blog entry auntie curl your pretty good! sounds like a very nice experience to have encountered!
Love
Dianna
At 6:55 AM,
L. Eubanks said…
Mom, we all are the same in that we all are spiritually bankrupt without Christ. That is where poor, rich, black, white, green, blue, fat, skinny, young, old, handicapped, sick...we all need Christ.
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