That quote that you see in this title is a quote from a new friend that I made yesterday. Her name is sonya. You may not thing much of this quote, or feel that there is any reason to look at it at length or digest it.
However. There is something you must know about my new friend.
She is homeless.
Sonya is an older black woman in her late 50’s, maybe early 60’s, and she just smiles this smile where you know that her life has been touched by none other than our Savior, Jesus.
First, let me explain to you how I came about meeting her. For Fuel, our 18-24 yr old young adult group at church, there is a ministry called “Feeding5000.” It is a ministry started by a man named Jim at my church and the Lord just put it on his heart to reach out to the homeless in a city very close to us, Philadelphia. Each week, Jim makes 150 meals, pays for them out of pocket (which costs about 128 dollars each week) and goes in to Philly and hands out these meals.
This Saturday I decided, I wanted to go. I have always had a heart for homeless ministries and it always irked and just upset me whenever I would hear phrases like, “Homeless people are just drug addicted people” or, “the only reason one is homeless is because they’re irresponsible drug addicts or alcoholics.” Even when I was very young, I knew that there HAD to be homeless people that did not fit those stereotypical assumptions. And yesterday, that proved to be true.
When we got there, since Jim has been doing this every Saturday since July, there was already a line of about 75 people or so just waiting for the food we were about to give them which would probably be their only meal of the day, or even weekend. After passing out the food, we stayed in the park for about an hour, and passed out New Testaments and “Our Daily Bread” devotionals and were able to pray and just talk to these people. That’s what really stuck out to me… these are just people. Just like you and me, people, with names, with stories, with families. I met Sonya. I met Jim. I met a homeless veteran named Anthony. I saw a pregnant homeless person. I had to tell a mom and her three precious children that we had run out of food and watch the sadness in their eyes when they heard they were too late. Turning down food for those children was the hardest thing I had to do that day.
Ever since returning from Philadelphia yesterday, I cannot close my eyes without seeing their faces. It truly brought to light the verse that says, “Whatever you do for the least of these my brothers, you do unto me.”
Sometimes it can be so easy to judge, or to not care… ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ But being a part of the body of Christ, we can’t let this issue be that way. Because God DOES see, and he DOES mind that his children are without food and shelter. He DOES care. We serve a mighty God, a mighty God who loved us with a love that we cannot even begin to comprehend. And if we have accepted that love from Him, than we know that we are to pass on that same love to others.
And when you do, when you see someone in need and offer a listening ear, when you see someone hungry and in need of a meal, when you see someone who is alone and gently remind them their Savior is always with them… not only will God be smiling down on you, but you will be so blessed in return.
If you would like to find out how you can help this amazing ministry, please let me know, and I would be more than happy to help you in taking part in feeding God’s children of Philadelphia.
