I’m so frustrated right now…the last couple of days Katie and I have been noticing so many homeless people here in Baltimore City. It’s ridiculous, like every corner sometimes it seems like there is a man or a woman standing with a sign saying, “Homeless, Please Help,” or, “Will Work For Food.”
Last night I was driving down the road and we got to the corner by our house. There was a man standing there that I’ve seen before…Katie said, “Are you going to do something or what?” “The light’s green – I gotta go, babe,” I said. I drove away trying to avoid the guy behind me from honking away his road rage. I drove up the road, felt God pull me back to where He wanted me to be. So I did a u-turn, went back, and handed the guy $20 bucks.
Tonight he was standing on the corner again. Katie cooked a hot chicken dinner and I took it down to him. I walked up to him just a few hours ago and handed him the meal, “Hey man – I got a hot meal here for you.” He turned to me and said, “Ah, man, that’s awesome thank you so much.” I looked at him and said, “I lost my job a year ago, and I’ve been strugglin’ off and on, so I know what you’re going through.” He told me, “I can’t find any work anywhere…I almost had a job at Home Depot, but then they found out I didn’t have a permanent address, and they wouldn’t give me a job.” “Where are you livin?” I asked. “In a tent, in the woods,” He said. I continued to talk to him a while, promised to keep an eye out for him. The frustrating part, is that he was standing literally 50 yards from the front door of 2 churches. I asked him, “What can I do for you man?” He looked at me and he said, “I really need socks.” Did you read that? Socks people…he needs SOCKS. This guy is less than a football field from him house and he needs SOCKS! SOCKS!
Even more frustrating, the church up the road has a marquee that says, “Sign Maker On Vacation, Message Inside.” So frustrating – I wonder – Isn’t the Message Jesus? And, why are we telling people, if you want The Message, you have to come inside this building. Why aren’t we saying “If you want the Message, we’ll bring Him to you.” Even MORE frustrating, is that up the road a little further is a marquee in front of a church that says, “You Think It’s Hot In Here?” Katie looked at me last night when we passed the sign, I said, “Did you see that?” She looked at me and said, “Are you kidding me?” I just don’t know what to think I’m so frustrated right now.
While I was talking to him, handing him the meal, my neighbors passed the intersection in their car. As they drove by they beeped and waved at me. I waved back, thinking to myself, “Maybe it’s not even about me helping this homeless guy, it’s about my neighbors seeing that I’m serious about walking out my faith.”
The picture here to the left is one that Melissa Markley took when we were at the beach with them last weekend. Adam and Melissa continue to be such great friends to Katie and I, we’re so blessed to have crossed paths with them.
