The View From My Window - The Man With No Home

Sometimes God shows us things through the everyday - what you or I miss - even out the windows of our own homes. This is what I saw one day recently - and was led to reflection. This is what I read in my Daily Bible Reading that very evening. And this is what I felt impressed to share with you.

My home looks out onto the train tracks.

There is much to look at and little to look at - at the same time.

There is the beautiful and looming rock mountain, the tall and green African grasses, and the homes with lit or darkened windows that appear to be eyes staring back at me. 

And there is the trash laying forgotten along the tracks.
 
 
All this I can see -

Or maybe not.

Because then there is the man with no home.

He comes. To the other side of the tracks. To make his plastic and cardboard bed.

When the sun is setting. And my eyesight is fading.

He lays. On the ground. Like the discarded trash.


He's still.

Does he sleep? It's not yet 8pm.

I don't know when he leaves.

Maybe before anyone takes notice.


I wonder,

What happened?

Where was his last real bed?

Does he have family? friends?

Does he have a job?

Did he have a home?


I wonder,

What is his story?

Do I see his Identity?

OR

Do I see and name him Homeless?

Today I do not - because my eyes are opened to see the Man first - Who Christ loves and calls us to serve - with or without the literal home -

And I remember,

Christ calls him Home. 

'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

~ Matthew 25:34-40 ~

                                                                                      

What do you See or Not See around you? Do you see someone's Identity or something else? What is God speaking to you to change or do?

Are Your New Year's Resolutions Out the Door....Already? I've Found It's Not Too Late - What I've Committed to!

Take it from me, I don't remember if I have ever really "resolved" to do something for the New Year... or any New Year.

My first roast turkey for Post-Christmas Dinner! It turned out great.

Maybe it just wasn't monumental enough to remember, or I didn't keep it (that would make it more forgettable), or I didn't write it down.

But the word resolution seems a bit removed from my world and maybe tainted by its blatant overuse and its failed history.

Anyway, even though 2013 already began, I decided to do something about it.

To commit to something. 

Commitment. (There - That's a word I use.)

Because I want to Change.

Committed to hike to Elephant's Eye (See the dark cave above?).

So I had time Alone to spend time with Jesus (so I wasn't alone-alone) this holiday and used my time more wisely.

Having a hard year of challenges - I'm concluding my first WHOLE YEAR as an OVERSEAS missionary - I Chose to do something about my battered state, and I Chose to do something different. I kinda needed a total Life Re-Orientation as I call it. I guess that meant letting God in Deeper rather than staying with, "I'm fine/holding it to together - You can just do your Surface-y stuff."


This meant...

Reflection.

Prayer.

Probably Crying.

Listening - well, I gotta open my ears more - definitely.

Oh, I read some books (I LOVE to read so this is a great way I can grow - Gotta remember that, Shannon.) - Yes, I read the Bible too, but I'm getting to that.

Journaling.


Then I got some...

Clarity.

Vision.

Plans.

It's kinda cool. God's kinda here for me. What a good thing to Remember.

So sometime after January 14th (see, it's not too late!), I went online and found a "read the Bible in one year plan." It has different selections on how you want to read through the Bible - I chose a little Old and New each Day. And - hold your breath for the awesome part - it will make a schedule for you beginning - with TODAY'S DATE (or start with January 1 and play catch up like I did)! Now I love this because some of my favorite things are checking off lists and calendars! I know, my detail-oriented tendencies can be a bit much. This is the website I like best so for: http://www.ewordtoday.com/

I could have just thought, "Ah, I think I'm going to read the Bible in one year." But umm, if I miss a few days... or a month... then I could write off my commitment pretty easily. SO I think that making a Goal, a Plan, and a Schedule are important to Success and give Accountability (sharing with someone helps too).

What a view! We did make it!

I guess I should get to WHY this is important:

God gave us a pretty accessible Way to Know Him. And for me to be Changed by Him, I need to Soak with Him - Including IN HIS WORD. This should be most important for my Life as a Jesus-follower and for my Life Re-Orientation too.

So WHY am I sharing this with you? 

I hope you are encouraged through my experience that it's not too late for YOU!

And you can always ask me where I am at. ;)

                                                                                                                                                                      

Do you struggle with resolutions? Is there something you want to COMMIT to?