God has been working another soft spot into my heart for the homeless.  There are countless stories about "dangerous" homeless people and hitchhikers and everyone will tell you their "horror story" about how they once tried to help a homeless person, and they "didn't even want my help".  I am going to tell you about a few experiences with these unfortunate people that I've had and hopefully you will be left with different ideas about men and women on the streets. 

My first real learning experience was when I stopped on my way home from work at our Exit and tried to "witness" to Raymond.  This photo reminds me of him as his eyes were intent and his face serious.  I began as I often do with a "fun" million dollar bill gospel tract.  That was enough to set off the fire under Raymond's stocking hat.  He promptly informed me that, as he so delicately put it, "Satan comes to lie, deceive, steal, and destroy...and that's exactly what you're doing with that fake money!  Now Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly.  So if you don't have anything to give me, please leave!"  (That's his favorite verse in the Bible as I learned in a few minutes)  Raymond immediately put up his defense screen that said, "I don't trust you, and you don't have anything for me."  It took my naive and innocent persistence to show him, after many heated words were thrown at me, that I really did care about him as a human being, and I didn't have a hidden agenda.  Once he truly trusted me, he became a completely different person, very articulate, proclaiming truths from the Bible, and sharing with me how to interact with a homeless person.  Raymond taught me that people don't trust you, and they are convinced you don't really care about them.  You might want to give them some food, or money, but they don't really believe you care deeply about their human condition.  That night, I was taught priceless truths about a people group I could not relate to until  that night.  Raymond at one point had to use the restroom (field) and so I got to hold a sign that said, "Need Tent" and tried to get people to stop and give me something that would help.  For that moment I felt completely disconnected from the people in cars flying by or ignoring me, that I understood a tiny portion of what he felt.  I had more in common with him at that point, that any of the "normal" people driving by.   Raymond and I had dinner together there at the overpass and we connected on a level that touched both of us.  We met him the next morning to give him our old tent, and some food and drink.  He left me with a hug and his favorite book, "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" of which I am excited to read.  

As God can only design it, Brother Gene Lehman was our minister that Sunday and he spoke intently towards the end of his sermon that if you listen carefully you can almost hear the hoofbeats of the Four Horseman. 

I don't know if I'll ever see Raymond again until we both reach our heavenly goal, but I now know one more soul desiring to serve Jesus that I knew before I stopped that night.  We never know what lessons we can learn or how lives can be touched, including our own, if we serve our God by serving others less fortunate.

   

Photo by Ted Szukalski