In recent years the Lord has given me a heart for the homeless. I used to waiver on whether to stop when I’d see someone holding a sign needing money or help. If I drove by, I’d feel guilty. If I stopped and gave money, I’d wonder if the person was going to use it on drugs. Either way I did not feel good about it.
After visiting a homeless mission, I realized what things they could genuinely use and then put together totes. In my car, I keep a tote bag or two containing new socks, a warm knit cap, hand or feet warmers, granola bars, snacks, a bottle of water, and various other things that may be useful.
I prayed if God gave me the opportunity to share the tote, I could also share about His great love. Armed with totes in my car, months went by when I did not see any homeless. Then one day I went to update my license plates.
As I entered the building, I almost ran into a man fumbling with a heavy duffle bag. I greeted him, opened the door for him as I went to complete my task. On my way out, the man was sitting on a bench next to the building. He was obviously homeless. Unkempt, bent over looking at his hands and shaking.
Was this the moment I was praying for? Did God want me to go over there? Was it safe?
I felt that Godly nudge…you know the one that if you don’t follow through, you will regret it later. So, I went over to him. I told him about what I had in the tote bag, asking if he could use any of it. He said yes. I gave it to him as I sat down to talk.
He was not particularly talkative or forthcoming. But he did talk a little about his homelessness, that he was a Christian and some of his background. His name was Robert G. He asked me why I came there to talk to him. I told him the truth; God told me to.
It started to get chilly, so I suggested I get him a meal. (There was a Christian owned restaurant about 2 miles away where I knew several people who would want to assist Robert.) He agreed.
Now, I had another decision. Was it safe to take him in my car? That was against all my natural instincts, but I prayed. Feeling peace about it, we drove to the restaurant. (I got there in one piece, not even stabbed but I promised my husband I’d never do that again).
As we were walking in, my good friend Joe was coming in too. I introduced Robert to Joe and to the staff in the restaurant. With Joe there Robert was a little more forthcoming though his story changed several times. Robert prayed with Joe to renew his relationship with Christ. He cried…actually sobbed and said he never cries. He seemed to morph in front of our eyes.
With food and a renewed faith in Christ, he sat straighter no longer hunched over as if to hide from the world. His shaking died down. One of our friends who was at the restaurant knew of a job that Robert could talk to the manager about the next day.
Then I looked at Robert knowing I could not send him out to the cold streets for the night. We contacted a woman who works with homeless in our county and through her connections we were able to get him a night in the local Super 8 motel.
Joe arranged to pay for a second night. Since Robert had no identification, I had to sign to be responsible for the 2nd night. (Another prayer to the Lord…is this prudent?) We left him there with a promise he could go back to the restaurant for a free meal anytime.
That was the last we saw of Robert. He never went for the job; he never came back for a meal. He seemed to have disappeared. We checked with the police, and I had regularly checked the jail rosters. Nothing.
I pray and think about him often. I’ve started wondering if maybe he was an angel? I mentioned that to Joe who said he had been thinking the same thing. We may never know this side of heaven.
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2