thank you...God bless you.

yesterday I didnt feel like cooking so the mister and I headed out to eat dinner. We had a nice dinner at one of our favorite mexican restaurants.

 

On the way home, we drove by wal-mart...(we live in a fairly small town)...the corner by our walmart is a place where you can usually find someone "begging" with a sign that say "homeless" or "traveling" or "hungry." But most of the time its the same 4 men that are standing there.

 

I carry around Blessing bags in my car

Filled with things like shampoo, deodorant, food, water and a bible or a tract. I give them out to people in need.

 

Yesterday when we drove by there was a man standing there whom I had never seen before...so I pulled over, got a bag out of the back and two bottles of water...and then we drove up and my husband handed him the items. The man looked at him and said "oh man, thank you SO much..God Bless."

 

He was truly thankful.

 

Then as we got closer to home, there was ANOTHER man standing on the side of the road whom I had never seen before.

 

He was holding a sign that said "traveling" and he looked like my papa did...except with a loooong beard.

 

His eyes looked SO nice but SO sad.

 

We had just given out the last blessing bag that I had in the car...so I looked at my husband with tears in my eyes and said...can we go get him some food? 

 So we got the man some dinner at Arby's and a huge refillable cup with ice water. We drove over to where he was and parked the car...and got out to talk to him. As we handed him the food my husband started asking him what he was doing and where he was going..he said he was trying to get "home" and just needed 6 dollars to buy a phone card to call his family. So we gave him a $20. The man grabbed my hand, looked me straight in the eyes and with tears in his eyes said "thank you ma'm..God bless you." As we stood on that corner talking to the man (at a pretty busy intersection) I looked at the car stopped at the light right next to us..and the people in the car were looking at us and the man with disgust. I kid you not..the lady looked at me and shook her head at me.

 

I got in the car and cried all the way home.

 

"thank you ma'm...God bless you."

 

When was the last time you heard that come of out of someones mouth after you have done something nice for them?

(this "story" was on FB this morning...its perfect for what I had intended on telling ya'll about today! FYI...These photos are of real homeless people. There is some doubt online as to whether or not this is a true story (below) even if it isnt...its still a good message. I am not claiming this to be true. I just like the message.)

 

 

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service....only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food....NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him. As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such.

 

When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation........"We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"....The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up.....and started walking down the aisle.....the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him....he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment....then he recited “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

  After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning...many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame.... he then said....Today I see a gathering of people......not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week.......Being a Christian is more than something you claim. It's something you live by and share with others.