The Homeless, The Hurting - Ways to Understand and Help

     HAVE YOU ever slept under a bridge? Do you know what it feels like to sleep on cardboard? Have you gone hungry for more than 24-hrs before? In America today it's said that there is over 1,750,000 homeless people, and 31,000,000 Americans who live, "in hunger or on the edge of hunger". www.statisticbrain.com/homelessness-stats/

MY ENCOUNTER:

     RECENTLY my cousin Jessica Smith and I were downtown playing tennis. We were about to finish up our game when we noticed a lady walking beside the courts and into the woods nearby. Because we figured there weren't any "nature walks" in that section of the park, we wondered who the person was and what they were doing. Like anyone, we were quite curious. A few serves later, the lady returns and walks back by the tennis courts, this time in a complete change of clothes, and holding an empty water bottle. She filled up her water bottle and returned to her quiet hideaway. Needless to say, we finished our game, and I went to investigate while Jessica cleaned up our tennis balls. After crawling through what appeared to be a simple deer trail, I rounded a corner and saw what I expected to see - a cardboard flat, shower curtain for a tent, and plastic bins with a few meager personal belongings. I left, gripped by what I had seen and disturbed by the answers to life that evaded me.

     JESSICA AND I returned to the tennis court about a half hour later, both putting together what few snacks and extra things we had, zipped up in an old carrying bag. After intentionally being quiet in order to purposefully surprise her so she wouldn't be all defensive and "beggy" we exchanged greetings with her. Her name was Sara*. Two weeks ago she lost her waitressing job. Soon after her boyfriend kicked her out because she couldn't pay her half of the rent. We had never heard an "actual homeless person's story" of how they became homeless. We didn't know what to say or how to respond. But we did know we could pray. We prayed, "Dear God, help this lady Sara* to find a job, and find you, the One who can bring hope and healing back to her hurting heart. Lord, thank you for how you have loved us and reached out to us in ways that we needed it. Thank you that you love us so much that you, "sent not your son into the world to bring condemnation but healing." Restore your friendship with her and keep us all close to you. Lord, find her a good job. In Jesus name, Amen." After the prayer, I asked her if she needed anything else; her reply was, "well it's cold at night." A sleeping bag would be nice." Thankfully, I had one in my car and gave it to her. Eventually, after exchanging goodbyes we left wondering how we could help and pray. We knew sharing her location
wasn't an option since the local authorities would probably then come and move her to a different
location.

     THIS "encounter" helped me realize once again how broken and in need we all are... Many out their are broken and in need of assistance. A help up can sometimes look like the weirdest things but are necessary.

Note: If  you have anything you'd like to donate to Sara let Jessica or myself know and we'd be glad to take it to her. Jessica will continue to check up on her throughout the summer.

(*her actual name has been changed to Sara to protect her identity)

A QUESTION ASKED

     I'VE BEEN asking myself the question from that "encounter" on... How do I effectively reach the homeless I do come in contact with? Here's an excerpt from the book I'm reading entitled, "Under the Overpass" by Mike Yankoski. It is related to my recent post entitled, "Preach, Serve, Repeat", and may shed some light on this subject.

"Every night about 150 ragged and torn men and women would pile into the chapel to listen to the mandatory service (at the rescue mission). The rule there, was you go to chapel before you get dinner. Everyone was dirty, hungry, desperate and broken. Pretty much everyone on the platform was not. Few would offer amens, many slept, and most just waited it out. After a full hour the air in the room was rank, especially if it had been raining as it often did on summer evenings. Typically, a group from a local church with a heart for inner city outreach would come down to lead the service. Most groups would stand in front, obviously nervous, to sing four or five worship songs. The speaker would then deliver the message. THE THEME rarely varied and always began with bad news. For example, a speaker might begin with Romans 6:23 - "the wages of sin is death" and continue with vivid descriptions of suffering in hell. I couldn't help but wondering why speakers focused on the, "hell, fire, and damnation" theme and so little on hope, you, love, peace, or really anything positive."

 Did speakers assume that to be homeless or addicted means that you are definitely on the road to hell and the only way to reach these people is through scare tactics? THINK about it: If you see someone dangling precariously off a cliff would you warn him about the danger of falling to his death? Or would you instead throw him a rope. There's a big difference. For some the rope of safety will come through a warm meal, while for others it might be a sermon, or a letter of admonishment. OUR GOOD INTENTIONS AND SOUND THEOLOGY are WASTED if those we minister to don't feel that we care about their immediate concerns! JESUS offered thundering warnings of suffering and condemnation to those who were healthy and didn't recognize their own neediness. TO the weak, and sin-bound he had ANOTHER message: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened." (Matt. 11:28) The author continued by saying, "SADLY twenty out of the twenty six chapel services that I was in focused on hell, condemnation, sin, and eternal suffering. All are important... but are they the most appropriate to focus on with such a physically needy group?"

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/136212023

MY RESPONSE: 

     WE NEED to have the kind of attitude that Jesus would have! We need to be ready to offer help, love, healing, and grace as well as be just as ready to offer a sermon on hell if it's appropriate. We need to offer both love and mercy to those rejected and outcast, and eventually help them come to a whole message that Christ offers - one that spills forth selfless living and a grace enabled life.
.

    AS AMERICANS we are inclined to want to be different, to do it the way no one on planet earth has done it before. Many Americans are all about the big "I". Might I suggest to you that we need to start thinking about others for a change instead of our own happy pursuits... We need to begin thinking biblically. What about this decision, this thought, this money, etc. - how can it be done/used for the upbuilding of God's Kingdom here on earth?  My "encounter" was a wake up call to me to stop thinking about going on a short term missions trip every few years - although that may still come to pass - and instead be the hands and feet of Christ here in America where He has planted me to currently serve. This could mean, helping those I come in contact with by sharing what I have and what I know - the Gospel) I know for me it's a huge tendency to think about the poverty stricken children/families in third world countries in other parts of the world. But what about our own country with all ITS problems?  My Suggestion: First: Live. Second: share/help. Third: give.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

•     Do treat them like you would want them to be treated! (i.e. DON'T always be looking the other way as if they are trash. They are people just like you and me with needs, desires, and feelings.)
• Do not give them money unless you know they'll use it for something good such as a haircut, new backpack, extra food. Keep in mind it takes time with a person to find their true need.
•  Do help them,  but in tangible ways. Like I mentioned above... some things like just having a hair cut will help them feel better than money ever will. The way we are externally can affect us deeply internally. Other ways may include, buy them dinner at Hardees, and sign them up at a local Rescue Mission.
• Do share the gospel in love! At the right time preach the message of God's forgiveness and restoring grace. It's not a time for a message on holiness or hell or the justice of God. How absurd! We as humans remember more critical statements than loving statements. The abused and rejected need even more of an abundance of love poured into their life if they will ever change.
• Finally, educate yourself. (i.e. read the book "Under the Overpass" by Mike Yankoski) Take a homeless person or needy person out to eat sometime. You may be shocked by what you discover. People can often open up more around the dinner table than anywhere else.

Any comments? Was this Helpful? How have you been able to help the homeless and hurting "see" Christ through the love you give and the gospel you preach?

A disclaimer - I'm still finishing the book; So hopefully I'll comment on this post later with better suggestions but based on my own experiences with homeless people here in Cincinnati - It's sound advice. Also, about the spelling errors - I didn't have spell check on the computer I was typing on.

(Last edited on 1/31/15 by AQ/JP)