November 24, 2020 – Click here to listen
I went for my daily walk and saw a homeless lady sitting on the sidewalk. She was dressed in tattered clothes and several old looking bundles were sitting beside her, (her total belongings in life.) As I approached her, she was radiantly smiling, and she buoyantly told me good morning with a big wide smile on her tanned and deeply wrinkled face. Her hair was in disarray and appeared prematurely gray.
I felt compassion for her and wanted to give her a few dollars, but I’d left everything behind due to no pockets on my jogging shorts and tee shirt. I warmly greeted her and continued my walk for another block or so and then I turned around to head back to my rental house. She was still sitting on the sidewalk where I’d seen her before, and I saw a younger, but obviously homeless man walking across the parking lot coming from McDonalds with a small bag and two large coffees.
He walked directly over to the lady and knelt down beside her and gave her a coffee and some of whatever food was in the bag. Then I saw something that very nearly brought a tear to my eye. Right there sitting on the sidewalk they bowed their heads and said a prayer and offered thanks to God for their meager meal.
It was a humbling special moment that God allowed me to see.
In the Florida Keys it is extremely difficult to get anything built in a timely fashion. Island time is not merely a figure of speech down here, it is a way of life. Currently we are having a beautiful oceanfront home built and it has been one frustration after another getting it finished, and believe me, I’ve been huffing and puffing and griping about the slow pace for a couple of months. We are beset by Covid which hampers everyone’s lifestyle including manufacturers and construction workers, the election news has been miserable, there are riots and people are trying to burn down America beginning with our flag, abortions are routinely taking the lives of innocent babies, and so on. Most everyone seems to be in a foul mood. I thought about all the foregoing as I continued my walk.
In spite of everything I am living in a large rental home with food stuffed in the refrigerator, a 40 foot boat sitting right outside tethered to my dock ready to go fishing, sufficient money in the bank to care for my family’s needs, fairly good health for my wife and me, family and friends who care about us.
Instead of griping I should be down on my knees thanking God for all that I have.
Don’t get me wrong I pray many times a day and much of it is spent thanking God for His blessings, but somehow after seeing these poor people praying it just does not seem like enough. Think about this today and ask yourself if you spend the majority of your time praying about the darkness or the light. Do you spend the most time asking for more, or thanking God for what you already have? Does your heart belong completely to God or to this world? Our God is not ever far away, and He is watching our every move. It is helpful to me to keep that in mind, and every now and then if I begin to drift, I am privileged enough for my Father God to remind me of it and humble me to the point of tears.
2 Chron. 16:9
“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His . . .