What About The Homeless?

May 10th, 2008 | by Karla |

On our trip home yesterday we stopped at a McDonald’s to get coffee. 

Side Story: I ordered my coffee and the nice lady said, “That will be .50.”  To which I said, “Excuse me?”  To which she said, “.50!”  She gave me a senior coffee.   Please take this moment to mourn for me.

Now, back to the real story.  When we walked into the restaurant I immediately noticed a young homeless man, about the same age as my daughter Paige, 24.  He was sitting at the very first table, showing the typical signs of someone on a very long trip…his clothes were dirty, his tattered backpack at his feet, his homemade sleeping bag tucked under his legs, his head bowed low…he was sleeping like a log.

On the table beside him was a small bag with the top rolled down and an empty small cup.  Apparently he had eaten something, but certainly not a biggie meal.

As my coffee was brewing I sat across the restaurant and could not stop looking at him.  What brought him to this point in his life?  Was he far, far away from home?  Did he have a home?  Was he a drug addict or an alcoholic?  Did he enjoy the life he was leading or was he lonely, tired and in need of hope.

Then my mind switched from him to my beautiful daughter sitting across from me.  Was it destiny that she had such a good life?  Is there such a thing as destiny?  Was there a  mom like me somewhere out there wondering where her son was and praying he was safe?

Soon the coffee was done and we were on our way home.  These past 24 hours I have prayed many times for this young man.  He’s a young person with his entire life before him, just like my daughter.  He has a mom, just like my daughter.  I want the world to know that my up close look at him did not leave me with a feeling of disgust.  It left me with a deep sense of loss for his sake. 

I don’t know how he got to that McDonald’s yesterday nor will I ever know.  I do know this.  God is sovereign and I believe he loves this tired, hungry, homeless man just as much as he loves my beautiful, educated, wonderful daughter.

What about the homeless?  My ideas of the homeless have changed.  God opened my eyes yesterday and showed me that they are people, just like me.  People who might not have had as good a life as mine, but he loves them just the same.

Because of God’s great love for me, my family and this young man, I am forever grateful…and I would give anything to tell that man how very much the Lord loves him.

All I can do now is pray for him.  Won’t you pray for him, too?