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| Care Pack: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap & shampoo |
Recently on the streets, there was a lady that always comes asking for specific items in her “care pack”. Sometimes we have them and sometimes we don’t. That day we did. Usually I would give them to her and she would make her way somewhere else, but that day I felt I was to initiate more. Without thinking much about it, I gave her what she requested and started sharing how God was taking care of her because we don’t usually have these specific items and then proceeded ask her questions.
Now in the past whenever I would try, she would give me the
silent treatment and then there would be an awkward tension. This time, after I
said all that I felt compelled to grab her hand and said my name is Amy, what’s
yours? I think my actions took her by surprise because she told me her name
(which felt like a huge victory!) and we started to talk a little. I started
sharing how thankful I was that she was here and also how God took care of her
today cause she received the “hookup” (okay maybe not those exact words). This
might not seem like much, but sometimes, when someone on the street repeatedly
rejects your attempt at conversation, it’s easy to just give up. Even though we
didn’t talk that much more, I was just thankful that God took care of Anna in
such a specific way and how a simple gesture could show someone that they
matter.
We see a lot of the same people on the streets, and I don’t
ever want our job to just be someone who hands out clothing, food and toiletries.
It is my hope that those who receive it also know they matter, even if it’s
just something as simple as greeting a person by name when they come by.
Whether we think about it or not, to know someone’s name is an important step
in building trust and relationship. My prayer for Anna is that she will
continue to open up instead of being one that keeps her distance.
Thank you so much for investing in the work that we do on
the streets and the impact you guys have by reading and praying with us!
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| Giving out Apples to People on the Streets |
