Holding the light of a candle for others in their time of darkness is one of the greatest gifts we can give to another human being. It’s called compassion. It’s easy to be there for a friend when the weight of sorrow and grief has left them motionless. We will gladly hold the candle for them lighting the way as they crawl back into their normal day to day life. That’s not the compassion I’m talking about. I’m talking about real compassion. The kind of compassion that stirs our very soul. The kind of compassion that mean the difference between life or death for the unfortunates of our world.
We’ve all been there, you know…that moment when you pass a homeless person on the street. As we pass people by, we know not what has happened to them in their life prior to our encounter. We know not the circumstances surrounding them at that moment. It is not for us to judge them for the way they look, or the odor seeping from their body, or their social status in life. Its at these times, our compassion is screaming at us to let it shine its light.
The homeless are no different than us. If you peel the layers of dirt, grit, and stench from them, you’ll find a human who is only trying to survive another day on this earth. But why stop there? Keep peeling the layers. What do you find. You find eyes searching for a spark of hope so that they too may live a life outside of poverty.
Keep peeling and you’ll find a heart reaching for love. Peel another layer and another and another. What you’ll find is an individual who is just like you. Their wants, their desires in life, their aspirations are no different than anyone else.
I came across these statistics and it made me stop and reevaluate my perception of the homeless.
23% are children
81 % are NOT involved with drugs or alcohol
63 % do NOT have a mental illness, and only
03 % has the HIV/AIDS virus
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) (2011), more than 1.3 million children are homeless at some time each year.
This video of 60 Minutes shows the changing face of homelessness in America. It tugged at my heart because I’ve known all too well what its like to teach children who have no home or who live in a home that is less than that of a barn.
In the Bible it says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31
The next time you see a homeless person, stop. Take a moment to listen to your soul. Feel your soul. Let it take over. Let the compassion within reach out to another human being. Reach into your pocket, reach for your heart, and help. Better yet, take a moment to make eye contact and send a smile to the one you’re helping. When you smile, your heart opens and loving rays go outward. The homeless need love too. Such a simple jester can send them love, send them hope, and make them feel human.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people
have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:2
Love, light, and peace
- Homeless Man and His Dog Say Goodbye! (sandrawellsauthor.wordpress.com)
- The Myth Of Lazy (thehomelessguy.blogspot.com)
- Would You Kick Him????? (artsquare800.com)
