The car is full with chips, cookies, sodas, water, and hygiene products. That only means one thing — it’s time to go serve the homeless in the city.
Every few weeks you’ll find me downtown with a group a servants spending time with the less fortunate. It’s always an evening that makes me look inward at myself, probably more so than to point and question them.
I serve. I reflect. I notice how grateful they are. Handing someone a blanket on a cool winter’s night can bring the biggest, toothless grin you’ve even seen.
While serving them a warm meal, they are happy to tell you of home.
Home.
Home where their children are, but they are not.
Home where their parents have asked them to leave.
Home where their addictions led them to go without.
Where’s your home?
After a few hours, it’s time to load up and head back to my house. My home. As we load up, I look around and notice them gathering their belongings — a backpack and a blanket — and walking away in to the dark of the night.
As we say good-bye I watch these now friends walk away. And I wonder where they will lay their head that night.
There’s no complaining on their part.
There’s no prodding of “I wish I had more.”
With nothing left but the memories of their smiles and stories, it’s hard to let them disappear as I head back to my suburban home.
A home where I’m more aware now of my “I need this, I have to have that, and we need more.” A place where I so long for the simplified life.
I think the saying is true
less is more.
Are you consumed with more, more, more? Or are you trying to live the ‘less is more’ life?
A fantastic post and an important question for us each to ask ourselves. I feel I dwell in the middle; I may find myself wanting, but I certainly have what I need and that is always enough for me :)
This has been on my heart and mind so much lately. I’ve been confronted with my own idols of comfort and convenience. I’ve never been one to live above my means, but when the means increase so does the desire for more. This is my refining right now. thank you for the freshening of the Spirit’s work as I was becoming aware of its weakening in my life on this point. You have blessed me and fanned the flame that needs to burn in me more. Bless you!
There is a beautiful message in here. Not only serving, but as one serves and sees how little others have, gratitude breeds in the heart…At least for me it does…
Aww touch my heart, isn’t true they never complain, they are so thankful , then we go home and we complain and whine about why we don’t have more. Looking into my own heart and it is not always pretty! but needed.
Thank you for blessing others as God has blessed you, Alene…I keep asking God how can we live more simply, and He shows me here and there…still a long way to go, but He is gracious…blessings to you, my friend :)
My heart breaks for those who have no path to home – and they are alone and in need. As my boys grow older, I know the importance of that home link, that when they yearn to leave in wrong moments – that the faith homing device prayed deeply into them will bring them back:)
Hi fellow Tribe Writer. This is beautiful, Alene. It’s something God keeps whispering to me… less is more. Bless you for serving. Thank you for the reminder. Looking forward to reading more. :)