Today Shawn Sherwood and I ran to Orange Park. Sitting at the red light to get onto Blanding we noticed a homeless man holding the sign we're all too familiar with. I rolled down the window and asked if he was hungry ("Duh! He's homeless", I thought). Hey, I'
ve asked others and they have honestly told me before, "I already ate today". So again I asked, he replied back with a simple, "yes". I quickly told him to wait on the other side of the road and I'd bring him some food. On the way back to I-295 we passed him, so we quickly did a U-turn. By the time we got back, he went back to the original spot. I told him, I had his food, that we would turn around. He came straight across BLANDING at the I-295 ramp to get the food. It was a miracle of God he didn't get hit.
Shawn and I talked about how awesome it would be to pick him up, take him to eat a nice meal at a restaurant, and just sit and listen to his story of how he ended up there. Our "schedule" wouldn't allow us to do that. We had to get "back to the church" and do ministry...
I tell you this, not to loose a reward (seriously, how much of a reward is earned by giving away two $.99 double cheeseburgers???). I share to remind you that people matter to God. Maybe he was fooling me? Maybe he made a few hundred dollars today? Or maybe he was genuinely down on his luck and hungry? Is that for me to judge? I'll let God take care of that. Do I help the homeless all the time? No, but I should. Cause PEOPLE matter to God. That's what is on HIS agenda. I'm reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 25...
ve asked others and they have honestly told me before, "I already ate today". So again I asked, he replied back with a simple, "yes". I quickly told him to wait on the other side of the road and I'd bring him some food. On the way back to I-295 we passed him, so we quickly did a U-turn. By the time we got back, he went back to the original spot. I told him, I had his food, that we would turn around. He came straight across BLANDING at the I-295 ramp to get the food. It was a miracle of God he didn't get hit.Shawn and I talked about how awesome it would be to pick him up, take him to eat a nice meal at a restaurant, and just sit and listen to his story of how he ended up there. Our "schedule" wouldn't allow us to do that. We had to get "back to the church" and do ministry...
I tell you this, not to loose a reward (seriously, how much of a reward is earned by giving away two $.99 double cheeseburgers???). I share to remind you that people matter to God. Maybe he was fooling me? Maybe he made a few hundred dollars today? Or maybe he was genuinely down on his luck and hungry? Is that for me to judge? I'll let God take care of that. Do I help the homeless all the time? No, but I should. Cause PEOPLE matter to God. That's what is on HIS agenda. I'm reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 25...
"For I was hungry and you gave me food... Truly I say
to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my
brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25 esv)
People matter to God, all kinds, and they should be on the forefront of our minds as well.
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