Change The World Wednesday

A stolen title, a stolen idea...well, let's go with borrowed. You see, my sweet friend Captain Murdock (her mom is crazy for naming her that, huh?!?!) is on her way home from Ethiopia after a fabulous adoption court hearing resulting in the words, "He is yours!"  She started this Change the World Wednesday thing, and since she's on a jet plane on this glorious Wednesday, I took the liberty of stealing or borrowing her title and doing a Change the World Wednesday post.  I'm not saying it's what she'd say or even a topic she'd write about, but it's a post nonetheless!!

On our way to Cale's football game Saturday morning in our small town, we passed a weary looking man wearing very ragged clothes carrying 4 worn loaded bags.  He captivated me, and I said, "Eric, is he a homeless man?  I've never seen a homeless man here.  We don't have homeless people here. I can't believe I just saw a homeless person here."  I carried on so quickly, and if you know Eric, you aren't surprised he just looked at me and said, "It appears he is homeless."  Then I started in with my incessant talking again.  "Doesn't that break your heart? Can we help him? How could we help him?  I wonder where he's going, what he's doing?  I hope his bags aren't heavy."  All the while, Cale and Jenna are in the back seat with their jackets, sweatshirts, pop tarts, water bottles and cozy shoes.  Cale says, "Mom, what's wrong with that man?"  My only response was "He doesn't have a home honey."  

He doesn't have a home.

There are people in MY TOWN where I've lived for all my life and some of them don't have a home. This was shocking to me. I've always thought we were far removed from the city and the problems of downtown, the hurt of homelessness. Now, I've know we have our share of poorness, maybe even poverty.  I know there are struggling families in my town, in my neighborhood, in my kid's school.  But I had never seen a homeless man walking the streets of my town.

Jenna and I dropped Cale and Eric off at the game, and we headed back to the convenience store for some donuts and a cherry coke.  And I drove right past that man again.  I waited to see which way he would head and decided to take my chances and buy him a coffee and donuts.  On our way back, there he was, just making progress in his walk to nowhere.  The song on K-Love was about walking our faith.  I thought it was talking directly to me.  I stopped, he was on the opposite side of the road, and I asked him if he'd like a cup of coffee. He declined. I asked again, saying, "sir, I just bought this coffee for you at the convenience store, won't you take it and warm up a bit?"  He declined again, saying, "I better not. I'm trying not to take things from people."  Again, I can't understand this I guess, so I said, " I bought this coffee for you. Will you please take it?"  Again he declined, reiterating his decision and personal goal not to take things from people. (Why he has that thought, I have no idea.  Maybe it has to do with his circumstances? Pride? His place in his walk? I have no idea.)  And he added, "I'm trying to quit drinking so much coffee."  I finally let the man reject the coffee, said God Bless you dear and left him there, on the side of the road, dirty, cold, carrying a heavy load. What was I to do???

There's another man, I call him Tom. He has a bike with a basket, he carries lots of bags, and he always wears his coat, even in July. I see him frequently around my workplace.  I've asked around, other people that work there have seen him too.  I pray for him when I see him, I even gave him all the cash I had on me one day, all of $8.  That day, I drove past him in the parking lot, but I felt God saying, help him, help him, help him.  I had to BACK the car up, gave him the piddly amount of cash I had and said, God bless you sir.

There's another couple guys, I don't have names for them, that frequent one of the corners on our way to Children's Mercy, when we got to take Jenna for any appointments. Eric says it is not always the same guys, with the signs, asking for money.  I don't know about that.

Change the World Wednesday.  What do we do to change this part of our world??  There are so many homeless, so many hopeless, so many unemployed.  So many reasons for homelessness. Alcohol, drug addictions, job loss, family falls apart, no support system, no money. 

What can you do?  

• pray
• find a soup kitchen, a city mission, whatever
• find a local organization to do volunteer work
• buy someone a cup of coffee and hope you have better luck than I do
• check with your church and see what ministries they or your local minister group has in place already
• if you are in my area, http://www.missionsouthside.org/  They are doing lots of great things around these parts! 
• check with your local city or county government and see how you can help their outreach organization
• call Salvation Army, they can direct you to how you can help
• add to my list!!!!

I'm sure there's other ways to help. I'm sure there are better ways to help.  And maybe this isn't your passion. Maybe yours is homeless pets. Fine, go help them!  On this Change the World Wednesday, get out of your comfort zone and reach out to someone who needs reaching out to.  Do it. Now. GO!!!