“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.

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We served Bethany (name changed) almost every time we had done ministry. She was a young, single mother who came out of an abusive relationship. Child Protective Services took her three children and placed them in foster care. She had a number of issues to deal with but was working to meet the requirements get her children out of foster care. 

My heart broke as she shared her heartache over not having her kids. But her biggest concern was for her kids. They were separated and frequently moved to new homes. Her oldest son had to move five times in less than a year. 

I asked her if we could pray for her. She eagerly accepted. The church’s youth pastor and three of their youth joined me. We stood in a circle, held hands and began to pray. Often youth aren’t comfortable praying with people, but one of them, Caitlyn, said “Hey, God, it’s me” and lifted up Bethany in a heart-felt prayer that moved us all. 

By the time Caitlyn finished, Bethany was sobbing. Caitlyn hugged her and began to comfort her as the tears continued to flow for several minutes afterward. The whole time, Caitlyn held her and softly spoke comfort to her. After a while, smiles and a joyful conversation replaced the tears. 

The two of them sat together for over a half hour, building a bond of friendship and touching each other’s lives in a very special way. Bethany later told me how much Caitlyn’s comfort helped her. Sometimes she despaired of ever getting her children back, but her time with Caitlyn refreshed her. 

This sort of connection doesn’t happen on every trip, but it happens enough that I get to see how we can make a difference. I think more than anything else that I do with TOP, being able to see these wonderful connections is what makes me eager to get to work each day. 

The post What It’s All About appeared first on Teens Opposing Poverty.