Reggie stood beside the pulpit after sharing his story of homelessness. The tall, muscular African-American stood in stark contrast to the all-white congregation. Their eyes were fixed on him as he paused to look around the sanctuary. He adjusted his posture to stand a little taller just before he spoke.
“Take the hand of the person next to you.”
I watched as some smiled while grabbing the hand of a friend or loved one, while others seemed a little uncomfortable taking the hand of a stranger.
“Think about how it feels to hold a warm hand,” Reggie continued, “a simple human touch. It’s something we take for granted, but homeless people rarely get to enjoy. A simple touch, treating somebody like they matter, can make all the difference to a homeless person. I know it did for me.”
Encouraging Words
Less than a year before that evening, a group of us from Teens Opposing Poverty was serving food at a camp of homeless people located under a bridge near the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC. It was the first time we saw him. We had served everyone else there when he walked under the bridge, got his food and moved to a makeshift bed away from us where he silently began to eat.
Several of the youth sat down near him and asked his name. He looked up at them without smiling and said, “My name’s Ice. At least that’s what they call me out here.” A lot of homeless people are known only by their street names. I didn’t get involved in the conversation, but stayed close enough to make sure everything was safe.
After a few minutes of small talk “Ice” warmed up and began to share his story. His real name was Reggie. His soft spoken voice belied his size. He didn’t have a problem with drugs or alcohol. He was on the street because a lot of bad stuff happened to him in a short time. So much had gone wrong that he traded his troubled life for homelessness. But he soon discovered out that the homeless life was no game. He tried to start over but had been unsuccessful which added to his hopelessness.
The teens listened but didn’t know what to say. Finally, one of them looked at him and said, “Of all the people we’ve seen out here, you have the best chance of making it.” Others echoed the thought.
Over the next two months, some of the youth from every group that served at that camp were drawn to Reggie. And every time they spoke with him, they encouraged him, prayed with him, put their hands on his shoulders and hugged him.
The Turnaround
Finally, he decided to try one more time to get back on his feet. I managed to connect him with a job moving office furniture. Before long, he left that job to work as a bouncer at a bar. A few months after that, he was promoted to shift manager. Along the way he began dating a lovely young lady named Gerta from Denmark, got his own apartment and a car. It was a beater, but it did the job. All of this happened within about six months after he got his first job. His transformation was a joy to behold.
Reggie had given up, but through the encouragement of teenagers, he worked up the moxie to try again. Often, words alone aren’t enough to help lift someone from the bottom, but sometimes they are. A caring touch and a kind, encouraging word at the right time can be a life-changer. I’ve seen it more times than I can count.
So, if you can, take the hand of the person next to you and commit to bring some of that love to those who are lost, lonely, and left out. Their lives will be richer for it and so will yours.