Homeless
I had no idea when I met him what I would discover. He had nothing to offer and to most people he would be nothing but a street beggar that did not deserve a second chance at life. His life was complicated much more than I could imagine. He is truly homeless and has no food or shelter other than handouts from others. Why I migrated towards him I will never know but I am glad I did. I am now convinced more than ever that God places people in our paths that guide us back to the reality that we all need to lead a happy humble life.
My life by third world standards is highly luxurious simply because I have a house and my house has food. By our standards I live a middle income life that some look down on while others appreciate. After spending some time with the genuinely needy I have come to learn that I have more excess than I ever imagined. In my eyes I catch myself thinking I do not have enough. The lesson I have learned from being in the presence of someone that to us has nothing makes me realize I have everything.
The stories he shared about life in prison, life on the street, the degradation of asking for and accepting handouts from others. As we talked it deeply saddened me at the lack of respect given to people in need. Even the handouts at times were thrown at him with remarks that would make the toughest person break down. God showed me through this man that my life really is a dream. My life has possibilities way beyond were my imagination can take me. I spent a few days with a homeless man and received the lessons of a lifetime.
Be thankful for what you do have and be helpful for those that have little. Your life will change in an instant as you begin to release the negative energy that you have harnessed over the years of accumulating the junk that clutters your life and holds you hostage to a runaway train you can’t seem to get off of.
I ask this man why he felt people did not respect him and his answer as simple as it was stirred an emotion deep in my heart. He said without hesitation that people could never respect him because they do not respect themselves. He said that as hard as his life has become it is nothing compared to the lifeless life people live that seem to have so much.
He goes on to share that even though he has no place to live, zero money in his pocket, and has no idea where his next meal will come from he is a happy man. He shared with me stories from prison about the people that had everything yet anger, resentment, jealousy, selfishness, and finally depression consumed their lives to the point that lead them to where they were.
Once in prison when he was stripped of his false self and all possessions taken away he found who he really was. Now on the street with nothing I found this man to be bigger than life. God is working miracles through him and into me. There are areas of my life that have woken up for the first time in years. My prayer for you today is to see the goodness in your life and build from where you are so you can go where God needs you to be. Your life has value way beyond your personal space. Step up and step out and when you see someone in need lend a hand because I can almost bet that Jesus himself is where they are more than where you are. Jesus needs us to come to him in the places of need not him come to us to give us more of what we don’t need.
Oh one last thing, I titled this homeless not about the man I met but about other people that have a house but not a home.
Thanks for all the comments from last week and as always I hope to hear from you this week. May God’s grace be with you as you encounter new challenges in this wonderful life we live.
Dale Childress
dchildress@livinadream.com
My life by third world standards is highly luxurious simply because I have a house and my house has food. By our standards I live a middle income life that some look down on while others appreciate. After spending some time with the genuinely needy I have come to learn that I have more excess than I ever imagined. In my eyes I catch myself thinking I do not have enough. The lesson I have learned from being in the presence of someone that to us has nothing makes me realize I have everything.
The stories he shared about life in prison, life on the street, the degradation of asking for and accepting handouts from others. As we talked it deeply saddened me at the lack of respect given to people in need. Even the handouts at times were thrown at him with remarks that would make the toughest person break down. God showed me through this man that my life really is a dream. My life has possibilities way beyond were my imagination can take me. I spent a few days with a homeless man and received the lessons of a lifetime.
Be thankful for what you do have and be helpful for those that have little. Your life will change in an instant as you begin to release the negative energy that you have harnessed over the years of accumulating the junk that clutters your life and holds you hostage to a runaway train you can’t seem to get off of.
I ask this man why he felt people did not respect him and his answer as simple as it was stirred an emotion deep in my heart. He said without hesitation that people could never respect him because they do not respect themselves. He said that as hard as his life has become it is nothing compared to the lifeless life people live that seem to have so much.
He goes on to share that even though he has no place to live, zero money in his pocket, and has no idea where his next meal will come from he is a happy man. He shared with me stories from prison about the people that had everything yet anger, resentment, jealousy, selfishness, and finally depression consumed their lives to the point that lead them to where they were.
Once in prison when he was stripped of his false self and all possessions taken away he found who he really was. Now on the street with nothing I found this man to be bigger than life. God is working miracles through him and into me. There are areas of my life that have woken up for the first time in years. My prayer for you today is to see the goodness in your life and build from where you are so you can go where God needs you to be. Your life has value way beyond your personal space. Step up and step out and when you see someone in need lend a hand because I can almost bet that Jesus himself is where they are more than where you are. Jesus needs us to come to him in the places of need not him come to us to give us more of what we don’t need.
Oh one last thing, I titled this homeless not about the man I met but about other people that have a house but not a home.
Thanks for all the comments from last week and as always I hope to hear from you this week. May God’s grace be with you as you encounter new challenges in this wonderful life we live.
Dale Childress
dchildress@livinadream.com
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