When my son was in pre-school he would go for half the day.. He would get out around noon and I'd go meet him at the bus stop and take him home from there. In the mean time if I had the day of I'd spend that four hours at Ella Sharp Park shooting pictures of nature or at the library downtown reading or checking out books. Well, this one day in the early early spring. I decided to go to the library and see if there was anything I wanted to read or check out. I get to the library and head in and go immediately to the right where the sports section is. But instead of going to the books something catches my eye to the right side of the room.. It's what appears to be a homeless man. Dressed in an Army coat, he has an Army duffel bag, a rolled up sleeping bag, and another bag/backpack all in a pile at his feet. He's in my estimation in his 50's. He has on a winter hat and fingerless gloves and is sleeping. It was a very cold morning in the 30's or so and I'm guessing he came from wherever he had slept to get warm. And no one seemed to be paying him any mind other than he had this HUGE table all to himself... So as he sleeping I wander around the sports section up and down aisles looking at books here and there but cannot shake the image of this man sleeping in a library to get warm.. I live in Jackson, Michigan but am originally from Leslie. A small town of roughly 2200 people. I didn't have my first encounter with anyone homeless until I was roughly 16 or so. But never have I been witness to something like this, where the guy is a few feet from me sleeping.
So many thoughts flooded my mind. How old is he? What's his story? Do his relatives know where he is? Does he have children who might be looking for him? What brought him to this present state? What is his day to day life like? Is he happy? Does he ever pray for change or for God to take care of him? Do others pray for him? Do others see him as a person or as a bum who is trying to live off the generosity of others? So many thoughts flooded my mind that soon I found myself not wanting to look for books anymore but rather found myself just standing in the aisle next to him thinking about him and his life and trying to put myself in his shoes. I must've looked like a giant freak just standing in the aisle watching this man sleep but it wasn't my intention at all. But more importantly something was telling me to help this man in whatever way I could. So I walked closer to see if maybe my walking by him would naturally wake him up, but no such luck.. But the closer I got I noticed something clutched in his left hand. I stopped blatantly in front of his table and looked.. He had a crudely made cross clutched in his fist.. It looked like it was made of either toothpicks or twigs he had picked up and wrapped yarn around them to form a cross. And for whatever reason just seeing that emotion hit me like a ton of bricks.. Here is a homeless man, who has all his earthly possessions next to him in two small bags, has no home, little idea where his next meal will come from, yet he's clutching this cross he made. It was both heartwarming and completely heartbreaking.. He held onto hope and faith despite the current situation he was in, or at least that was my interpretation of it. But what could I do? I couldn't bring him home like a stray dog, I'm far from rich myself so I can't change his life, and I didn't want to wake him to ask him about his life. For all I know that could've been the first good sleep in a warm place he had in awhile.. So, I did what came to me first.. I went to the front desk and asked for a pencil and some paper. I sat down at a table next to him and quickly jotted down a note that went something like this:
Dear Sir,
I know we don't know each other. I don't know your story. But I couldn't help but notice the cross in your hand.
Who I am doesn't matter, I apologize that cannot do more for you. But hopefully this small amount of money can
help you in some way whether it be to buy food, or supplies or whatever makes your day a little easier. I will be praying for you
and please don't lose sight of the fact God loves you very much and has a plan for us all and while things may seem dark
He is the way, the truth, and the light. God bless you and keep you safe brother...
And with that I folded it neatly around the meager $25 extra that I had on me and slipped it under his hand. I turned around dropped the pencil back off at the front desk and left. I didn't want to or need to stick around to see this man wake up. I only pray that he found the note and money and that for awhile remembered the world isn't a bad place and that there is hope out there. I wondered the rest of the day how he was and hoped someone hadn't take the note from him. Though I suspect that'd be hard to do as I literally tucked it under his hand. And I've told a few people about this since it happened and it's been a mixed review of feedback.. From the good to people asking why I'd give money to a stranger and a bum... I didn't do it and I didn't relay my story here for praise or a pat on the back. I did what I did because despite his station in life, despite the fact he wasn't as clean as you or I, or that he has no home, he's still a person.. He is still a creation of God, He was once someone's little boy and the light of their life. He was once innocent and pure as a child with the whole world in front of him and endless dreams and hopes.. Just somewhere along the line something happened either by bad decisions or bad luck. Doesn't change who he is as a person. And if you want to take it a step farther... What if your child today or cousin or brother or whatever is that man in 25-30 years? Wouldn't you pray for someone to help him somehow? I pray that no one's child or whatever becomes homeless but it happens. And if the $25 I gave him can lighten his load or ease his mind for a few days then I'm thrilled beyond words.. That little money could feed him for a few days, or buy him a blanket or gloves or a hat. It's not much but maybe to him it is?? It's what I could do and it's what God put me in the position to give him... And there is a scripture in the Bible that rang true here. It's in Matthew 25:40 that says "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
But the honest truth is I didn't do it to seek approval from people there, you the reader or anyone. I did it because it felt like the right thing to do.
Which brings me to my second encounter Saturday. I pulled into work and as I did there is a couple sitting on the grassy corner of the mall entrance. The man held a sign but I couldn't read it. But I flashed back to the man at the library and I had to do something for them. It was hot that day in the low to mid 80's and they were sitting in an unshaded area with two little dogs and all their possessions in bags around them. So I went into work and asked a manager to excuse me for moment while I bought 3 waters and ran it out to them. She said "sure" and I did. I took one out for him, one for her, and one for the dogs. I knelt down beside them and asked them where they were headed. The man spoke up first and said they were from California originally but had got married and move to Pennsylvania for work. He lost his job, they lost everything and to top it off her grandmother died who lived in Michigan. So they hitchhiked here to make it to her funeral but ultimately wanted to go back to California and try to get their lives back. They had two little dogs with them who were cute and friendly. Then she spoke up and says "we are hitchhiking back to California to get back in touch with some family there and trying to make it there before the baby is born." So, to top it off she's pregnant, they're trying to hitchhike across America to get home and they have everything they own with them in some bags. My heart broke. The most I could give them was a measly $20 and I apologized to them as I handed it to him and told him I wished I could do more. I also had the address of the local homeless shelter and told him about it incase they had no place to go that night. But he just said "God bless you, everything helps in it's own way" I mean that could feed them and the dogs, or save it up for bus fare, I don't know.. I felt horrible I couldn't do more. But I told them that I needed to get into work and that I wished them the best and shook their hands, scratched the dogs on the head and turned around to head back in. The girl called out and asked what my name was. I told her and she took out a journal pad and wrote The Gibson Family - Jackson, Michigan. And told me. "We may never be able to repay you for the waters and money but we can repay you by praying for your family." She was keeping a journal of all those who have helped them along the way and was praying for them. I smiled and thanked her and wished them luck again and turned to head back. As I did a car stopped near them and a lady held out a brown paper bag and told them they went to the restaurant in the mall and had got them some food. It made me feel good to see this, to see strangers helping strangers.. And when I got back into work I had 10-12 people ask what I did. I told them and a lot of them asked why I would do that. My answer is "wouldn't you want someone to help you if you and your family were in that situation?" Most of them just nodded and went about their business. But some further questioned me asking things like "what if their con artists or people just looking to make money off the generosity of others?" "What if their drugs users looking for their next fix?" I just shrugged, I mean it's entirely possible that it could be that way. But I would rather be out $20 trying to help someone I think is in need and lose that money than to just pass them by and ignore them.
But my question through all this is what is God trying to tell me? What is He trying to show me? I am a firm believer that God puts you in situations and places like that for a reason. And when something happens more than once there has to be a bigger reason or plan for you with that involved right? I dunno.... Hopefully, it all become clearer as time moves forward. I had a talk with God that night after work. I drove around the block to see if they were still around but they were gone.. It's times like that I wish I were rich. I wish I could hit the lotto or power ball. And not even for me. Yes, the financial security would be nice. But it would enable me to help more people like that. I mean how nice would it have been to have that disposable money to take a couple like that, put them on a plane and see that they make it to California safely, and give them extra money to get started with. Or to take that man in the library and give him enough money to get off the streets, get new clothes and give him a fresh start on life. And I don't need the credit, or praise for any of that. I don't want it. I want to be able to help those who need it. That night put a lot of things into perspective for me. Made my little problems like my Central Air not working seem ridiculous and small... Makes my struggles with my job seem unimportant.... And makes me so thankful that God has provided for me and my family in the ways He has...
Be thankful... Be grateful.... Because it could all be gone in an instant.... Be thankful that you can sit at your computer, in your house, and read this. Because right now there's a family looking for their next meal, there's a family trying to find shelter from the rain or heat, there are children who will never know Santa, will never have a room or bed of their own, who will never have a place to call home. I told Jill as we left church Sunday and stopped for lunch.... I can't help but feel guilty. There are so many out there struggling and suffering. And we complain about bills, and our problems seem so petty....
There's got to be more I can do... But what?? What exactly are you trying to tell me????
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