You see them… the ones who stand on the corners with cardboard signs asking for just a little help. Sometimes they are there every day, having staked out a particular spot to set up and reach out to whoever will take a minute to read their signs or look for a moment into their eyes.
I have driven by countless numbers of these people, young and old, women and men, on my way here or there. Often I’m late or my list of errands for the day is too long, so I look the other way. Sometimes I will admit to wondering if that crutch under an arm is just for sympathy or the result of a real injury. And, if I’m truly honest, I probably judge more than I realize…having just been to stores where “Help Wanted” signs are prevalent, wondering why they can’t “just find a job.” I must also admit, opening my window as a woman alone in my car can be just a little scary.
I have been asking God more and more for his insight as I approach intersections. I want to see the people there with his eyes. I want to know I am answering his call, “…for when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me… ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:35-36; 40b).
I want to purposefully plan to reach out to meet needs, so I am trying to remember to carry small plastic zipper bags in my car with items like a granola bar, a pair of socks, a toothbrush, lip balm, nuts or dried fruit in them. I believe it’s worth the time and effort to look for “the least of these” and be more prepared to offer something along with my smile and words of encouragement.
There are many more of the “least of these” in our world at large. Their stories are worth hearing! This week (July 7-10) in Golden, we have a very special opportunity to learn of more opportunities to reach out and do something in Jesus’ name via the “In the Margins” World Vision Experience in the Golden High School parking lot. We can step out of our world and into some of the world’s hardest places. This special experience will transport us into the lives of the forgotten and oppressed. Through powerful, challenging images and stories, we will experience life through the eyes of people enduring unimaginable adversity in three different countries. This is the only location the tours will be available in Colorado this year, so don’t miss it!
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