A Journey Toward The Homeless

**These next couple of posts are two-fold. I'd love for you to see how easy it is to make a difference. Nothin' fancy. If we can do it, you can too. And then the second reason is simply as a marker for Jackson and Maddie. Maybe when they're in their twenties, and they find themselves drawn to helping the least, the last, the lost, they will realize that from the time they were YOUNG, their hearts were inclined to help. And their journey began with simply asking questions, being kids, being thoughtful and kind and loving. I can hardly wait to see where God carries them on their spiritual journey of loving HIM and loving people.

Winter/Spring, 2008. The journey began with these:

Maddie and I were driving through our local McDonald's and while waiting for my Diet Coke {.shocking.} she asked about the baskets. So I explained how there are lots of people all over the world that don't have a place to live. They live on the streets. They're hungry. They're weary. They need our help.

She asked all the questions that most people wonder. How did they lose their home? Why don't they go somewhere warm instead of Chicago if they have to live outside? Did they do something wrong? Why do they look dirty? How do they carry all their stuff? Who feeds them? What do they do when it's freezing cold out? Where do they sleep?

And then the question: "Can we help them, Mommy?"

And so began our journey to intentionally help those in need. I'm sure we were helping others prior to this, but this was the catalyst to us simply beginning to look for opportunities to help the least, the last, the lost.

Fast-forward to this summer, July 22nd. {Check here for the background information - the last 1/2 of this post.}

That was our first trip down to Breakthrough Urban Ministries. Simple plan - share her birthday cupcakes with some homeless ladies. Visit with them. See where it leads.

That hot summer night on our way home from Breakthrough, we talked about all the ladies we had met, with so many of them being ones we wanted to get to know. They're just ordinary ladies, wanting to be known. Wanting others to take an interest in them. Wanting to be listened to.

So since then we've been going back every couple of weeks.

With trunks full of donated clothing. {Breakthrough has a boutique of sorts that the women, both in the program at Breakthrough and in the surrounding community, can come and get clothes for free, for their job interviews, etc. So friends and church family have been giving me bag after bag of clothing items for both the men's and women's shelters.} And homemade cookies. {I just have to say that EVERY time we've come with homemade cookies a LOT of the ladies have asked, "You made these for us? They're not store bought? You did that? Why'd you do that?" I'm blown away at the fact that by just taking the time to make them from scratch seems to be a huge deal to these ladies. I guess that speaks love to them. Time to make the cookies. Time to drive down to the shelter. Time to sit and talk with them. Time to share. I really haven't quite figured out why this is such a big, big deal but for whatever reason it is. And so for that reason alone, I'll keep baking cookies.}

And making a meal for the ladies. {When my family was in town, we signed up to cook a noon-time meal for the ladies.

I knew that with my mom and aunts' expertise in the kitchen, they could help me figure out portions for 40 people, so that the next time I went down with friends, I'd be able to organize it and know how much food feeds that many people. What a fun time it was. My family loved meeting the ladies, visiting with them and cooking for them. One of the highlights of our time together.}

And friendship. {Jackson and I have gone alone. I've gone with both kids and Jack. And I've also asked friends to come with me. One of the things God has been speaking to me about over the last year or so has been the fact that He has wired me up to be an encourager and a motivator and I have felt that He is asking me to help others get plugged into service opportunities .}

And this whole friends coming with me thing could be a stand-alone post but I'll just lump it in here for now. I have LOVED this part of it. In August I brought three friends with me and each friend had a unique part to play in that visit. At one particular point I scanned the room, 'checking up on my friends,' making sure they were having a good experience and this is what I saw:

My quiet, introverted, reflective friend sat engaged with one of the homeless ladies, giving meaningful, one-on-one attention, actively listening, graciously asking thoughtful questions. And then there was my loud, outgoing friend. And she was over on the couch hoopin' it up with the ladies, making them laugh, showing them love by the gift of humour and laughter. And then there was my prayer-warrior friend. I looked over and she was holding hands across the table with one lady, praying over her, empathizing with her, offering her Hope.

And that was the point in the morning where I lost it. I guess that's a bit too dramatic. Tears did quietly roll down my face and I vividly remember thinking, "It just takes each of us, being who God wired us up to be, and LOOK at the impact it can have." If we just walk the path God has for us, He uses us to touch others' lives. Nothin' big. Nothin' fancy.

And again in November, I brought another friend with me. And she fell in love with the ladies, praying with them and listening to their hearts as they shared their stories. There is something about sharing a moving experience with someone that deepens your friendship. On both occasions, as I left with my friends, I was reminded how friendship is such a valuable part of my life and how fitting that we could begin to build friendships with the ladies on Carroll Avenue, just by being ourselves and letting them be who God designed them to be.

One new friend at a time.

Just listening. And laughing. And praying. And sharing.

And so the last few months have been rich with simply sharing a listening ear and a plate of cookies. Nothin' fancy for sure. Just a few of those basic human needs that we all have:

To be heard.

To be understood.

To be accepted.

To be loved.

All because one little 5-year-old girl saw something that didn't seem right {people out in the cold} and asked that simple question.

"Can we help them, Mommy?"