My Thursday Thoughts | Helping People Do Better

“I’d like to think someone would do the same for me if I needed it, ” I said. The man and I were talking about our devoting time on a Sunday afternoon to help homeless people get off the cold streets for a few days thanks to the availability of a few hundred hotel rooms in the Dallas area. With temperatures near or below freezing most of the nights this Decemeber week, getting people to come in from the cold is truly a life or death matter. The streets are hard enough. Inclement weather makes them even more treacherous.

In Dallas, there are easily over 10,000 homeless people. In reality, the number is probably nearer 15,000. The homeless population is as diverse and inclusive as your imagination can muster. Homelessness doesn’t reject anyone. All are welcome. Most of the US population is only a paycheck or two away from living on the streets. Let’s face it: life is expensive.

“Do you think life on the streets takes a toll or that it affects someone?”

“Great question,” I told her. The woman across from me wore a heavy coat over several layers of clothes. A red wool cap crowned her head. A mask covered her mouth and nose as one did mine. Sitting across from me, she wept. Tears streamed from her eyes as she thought about her sister when I asked her if there was someone we could contact in case of emergency. They hadn’t talked in years, she said.

” I think life takes a toll on us and that over time that toll affects us in a deep way.”

“How do you mean,” she asked.

“Every heartache or dissapointment comes at a price. It costs our soul something. It can crush our spirit. Over time, the weight of those scars and unhealed wounds change us. We’re no longer the sweet, innocent child we were when we were born. We become harder. We build walls. Dig deep boundaries like moats around a castle.”

“True dat. I believe what you’re saying is right.” She thought a minute. “But you know what? As long as I got Jesus, I’m not alone.”

“True dat,” I replied. “True dat.”

This Christmas season, be generous and kind. Show someone a little love. Do something they don’t expect that postively changes their life from that moment forward. Treat other people as you would like them to treat you. You can use your hands to push people down or to lift them up. Be a lifter, not a pusher.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for the gift of Jesus and the miracle You worked in me through His life. May I reflect Christ in my thoughts, words, and actions as I seek to be more like Jesus every day. Help me be generous and kind and see others how You see them. Let me be someone who lifts people and helps draw them closer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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May the Lord shower You with His grace and mercy. 

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

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Glory Touching Earth | Immanuel Baptist Church Choir, Marshall, TX