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?

Started by Bill Gates, Billionaires are Pledging to Give Away Part of their Fortunes.

It's called The Giving Pledge.

Read the article here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40582683/ns/us_news-giving/?gt1=43001.

I am so excited by their generosity, whether they are Christians or not, I believe that God can use and move His resources the world over. And maybe with their endeavors to think beyond themselves and consider those less fortunate, maybe, walls will be broken in their own hearts to be moved towards the One who calls their names. I pray for this. Will you pray with me?

This makes me think in another direction - to myself. Lately, I have been praying to be a more generous person because really, I don't see myself as that generous. This is especially because I usually consider, "Can I afford to be generous in this instance?" Now I'm not saying to be irresponsible, but I do desire to be able to respond more naturally in generosity, without more negative thoughts running through my head. So if I feel God nudging me to be generous and I respond, can I trust God to meet my needs? It may come slowly, but I am seeking God to change my heart so that I can learn and put legs on my faith!

If I am seeking God's heart for generosity, what is the foundation of generosity? But is it love? So then, how do I love? In the passage of Mark 12:29-34, the greatest commandment is identified as loving God and second is loving your neighbor are yourself. I know who my neighbor is everyone and anyone, but how do I love my neighbor? 1 Corinthians is filled with the theme that "our aim is love" (thank you SBS leader James Lunn) through everything, whether encouragement or correction, our aim is love, the love of Christ. This is to our brothers and sisters in Christ, how to prefer our brother, but Paul also speaks about unbelievers desiring them to be saved (see also Rom 9:22; Eph. 4:12). 1 Timothy has a whole 14 verses Paul devotes to Timothy on instructing the church to help those "who are truly widows" (1 Tim. 5:3-16).  James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

May what Gates and others are doing be a challenge to us, for me personally and for the church.  I pray for the Church, American and worldwide, to seek God's heart of love so they can in turn demonstrate their love in generosity and care to those around them. And personally, I ask God for a transformed heart to love and the ability to do that practically as God demonstrates this heart through His Word.