The same but different

Mar

18

2013

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Mar

18

2013

Yesterday I spoke at both services for Grace Mission Church. Just as it got started a man named Kenny collapsed, (fell face first onto the floor). He was unconscious, his breathing was shallow, and his hands were cold and clammy. I put my hand on his neck and his pulse seemed weak.

We called an ambulance and the responders arrived. Kenny regained a state of semi-consciousness and was lucid enough to weakly nod his head in answer to a few of their questions. I suppose the responders were professional enough in rendering aide to Kenny, they loaded him on a stretcher and took him to the hospital, but I noted that their demeanor seemed unfriendly, cold, and almost indifferent towards him. It seemed fairly obvious to me from the way they roughly shook him and curtly asked for his identification, that they were not enamored by the idea of picking up an indigent homeless man at a mission and hauling him to the hospital.

I’d seen that look plenty of times when I used to live on the street. I absolutely despised it when people looked down on me like that; it can be described as a look of condemnation and contempt for someone who is dressed shabbily and no doubt poor (and unlikely capable of paying their bill). Don’t think for a moment that poor people don’t notice that look and get hurt by it.

After the excitement ended we proceeded and performed two wonderful services. The men and women in attendance seemed to really enjoy themselves, and I was struck by their enthusiasm and joyful singing to the Lord. I was also impressed when the offering was taken up. Two people stood at the front of the church with plastic buckets and nearly every homeless person in attendance filed down there and put some money in them. One bucket was for the church and the other was for a scholarship fund for the homeless kids of the mission. As I observed them putting their worn dollar bills into the buckets, I couldn’t help but wonder what portion of their entire net worth that represented.

I returned to Honey Lake and attended the Sunday Brunch. It was packed with people who were obviously far more well to do than the folks with whom I’d just spent the morning. A grandmother walked out onto the deck and when she re-entered the Lakeside Pavilion, she fell and scraped and cut her arm, and hurt her shoulder and hip.

We called for an ambulance and when it arrived, the contrast in demeanor with the crew that picked up Kenny and the one that picked up the grandmother was like night and day. The Honey Lake EMT crew was polite, seemed genuinely concerned, gentle, and compassionate. I realize that it is not a fair comparison and I understand that the Honey Lake crew consisted of different personnel and I would like to think they would have treated Kenny the same, but the earlier incident still troubles me. I wonder if that crew would have treated the grandmother so shabbily had they come to opulent Honey Lake Resort and Spa instead of Grace Mission.

I think not.

Last night I gave my testimony to a group of facial surgeons and some legislators who were having a conference at Honey Lake. We were all dressed nicely and I was treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. After the day’s events I couldn’t help but wonder how they would have reacted if I’d come in there looking like I did in my misspent youth. As I stood there in that gorgeous setting I remembered going to Salvation Army outposts not unlike Grace Mission to obtain an occasional hot meal, warm clothes, toiletries, and a place to take a shower and get off the dangerous streets.

I was the same person standing at the podium in that magnificent Grand Ballroom (that I own), but different.

Hmmm . . . The same but different . . .

The Bible states in Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both. Jesus created us all, and He loves us all – More than we can imagine. We are to emulate Him in every way. Love all – Serve all!

All I can say is God bless those who run Grace Mission and those who support it financially. They love their clients in spite of their poverty, and their clients love them in true agape-love fashion, (the manner in which Jesus loves us).

I took a tour of the mission before the services began and it was neat and clean and well organized. They proudly showed me the kitchen, the pantry with its donated food, old but usable clothes that are given to whomever needs them, hotel soap and shampoo that people collect on their business trips and give to the mission, hot showers and clean restrooms, a nursery for the small children, a library containing many old and a few new books for more mature children, and so forth.

I’m sure they can use some help down there. In 1st John 3:17 it states: “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion–how can God’s love be in that person?”

Is God’s love in you?

One last thing… While we were on our tour, Pastor Amanda who is in charge of Grace Mission, proudly pointed to a plastic tub (similar to a cattle trough). I looked at her quizzically and she smiled and said, “This is our baptistery”.

Hmmm… Saved souls being baptized in cattle troughs . . . I smiled, and told her that I’d seen them used in prisons.

Count your blessings dear friends – Count your many blessings and name them one by one – Count your many blessings and see what God has done . . .

And the next time you see a poor person, treat them kindly and gently – Realize that they have feelings, hopes, and dreams too . . . but for the grace of God even you might be homeless and poor . . . Honor your God through your kindness to the needy . . .

Proverbs 14:31

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

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