Today my friends and I took Halley around to see all the sights in Sydney. As night fell, I began to realize what a sad city this really is. I mean, there is so much culture and nightlife, but the streets are filled with homeless people. Every time I passed a homeless person, my heart sank and I just wanted to reach out and touch them and tell them they're loved and they have hope. I just don't know what to do. If I could, I would give every homeless person a home, but at this point that just isn't possible. Sometimes I feel so useless. I don't just want to give them money but I want to sit down and have a conversation and ask them to share their life story with me. Here are these people who live in complete loneliness. I mean, when was the last time they had an actual conversation with someone? The only time they talk probably is to ask someone for money. How lonely is that? They just sit there in their ragged clothes, unshaven faces, and dirty bodies, while people walk by and stare. And I walk by and I just want them to look up at me so I can at least give them a smile. And maybe that smile will do something to them. Maybe that smile will give them a hope. Maybe they could see that someone in this world cares for them. And maybe it will run deeper. Maybe they'll see Jesus through my smile. But they look down because they are ashamed and I find myself just like the rest of the people; just another person who walks by and stares.
"We can do no great things, just small things with great love." -Mother Theresa
3 years ago
2 comments:
thx T! I am so excited :D when you get back I will have to give you a ride :D hahaha
I know Jesus Culture rocks! we do some of their stuff at C-stone :D
Love you!
B
Hi Tara!
Thanks so much for sharing this. You're so not alone in your thoughts and my heart is right there breaking with yours for all homeless people. Like you, I too often feel so useless to them. But those are the precise times when we need to re-center the basis of our hope and focus on just who God is rather than believe the lies of the enemy. Remember when Jesus and the disciples fed the 5,000? Seemed a pretty impossible feat based on the resources they had, but the key was in the disciples bringing what resources they had and trusting Jesus to do the miracle. And it's no different for us today...God asks each of us to give what we have and leave the work to him. So if what you have to give is a smile, than that's what you're to give and God will do the rest. So smile at them even if they look down...trust God will use your smile. I know for me, when I'm having an off day or just feeling out of sorts and down, getting a smile from a perfect stranger somehow makes me feel better and that someone cared. I dunno...maybe it's corny, but a smile is powerful and really can go a long way.
And the Mother Teresa quote is one of my all time favorites!
Hope all is continuing to go great for you!! Blessings n prayers still being lifted for you!
PS:
HI HALLEY...picture me waving excitedly with a wee bit (No, make that ALOT) of envy at the computer screen to you! Miss you, but know you're having a blast! Be sure to bring me back some Aussie accent and attitude, K?! lol)
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