I never cease to be amazed.
Last Sunday a group of brave people ranging in age from 9 to, well, almost as old as I am, spent an afternoon in the cold to conduct Teens Opposing Poverty’s first homeless outreach in Lynchburg, Virginia. We wanted to be a blessing to people who could carry their life’s possessions on their backs and had no family to visit on Christmas day.
We took a little Christmas tree, some Christmas music, cookies, hot soup (it was delicious), hot drinks, water, gift bags with toiletries in them, clothes and wool blankets. Throughout the afternoon a steady stream of people came by. Some lived in tents. Others lived at the Salvation Army Shelter across the street. Still others rented a room or apartment, but the rent ate up almost all of their income. They were all grateful for the gifts we shared.
A lot of the people we served stayed out in the cold with us. We had great conversations and made new friends. It was a successful “TOP Trip”.
In two different conversations that day I heard something that I have heard on many TOP Trips over these last 23 years, and each time I hear it, I am moved and amazed. We were talking to people who had experienced tragedy. The obstacles they had to overcome to get off the street were daunting. They had lost almost everything.
But their faith was strong.
It was elemental.
It was powerful.
It was simple and pure.
God drew close to them.
Their relationship with Jesus had reached a depth that far too few of us experience in this life. When they were dealt the blows that put them on the street, they could have walked away from God. But they didn’t. They ran to Him. They were stripped of everything except Jesus and found out He was all they really needed. That was their message to me.
As I heard them proclaim their faith, I thought about Christmas. Not the Christmas of cathedrals, or silver bells or shopping malls. I thought about the Christmas in Bethlehem. I thought about God in the flesh lying in a manger.
It was elemental.
It was powerful.
It was simple and pure.
God drew close to us.
This Christmas I pray that each of us may experience the closeness to Christ that these precious souls have shown to me. May we all live our lives knowing in our hearts that Jesus is all we need. For that is the greatest gift of all.
Merry Christmas.
Steve Jennings
This is an awesome story! Very inspiring and beautiful. We are all so spoiled and have too much “stuff”!!! I am sure that most of us have so many “extra” blankets and some folks would appreicate just having one on a cold night!
I also participated in a TOP event on Sunday. This one was in downtown Newport News. I came away from this event humbled. These wise souls ministered to me and touched me deeply. I was especially drawn to two little girls there. Such power and love from what seemed to me at first to be such an unlikely source. God uses EVERYBODY to do his work.