gut check



Guy sleeping outside yesterday - photo by Joel

 Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." ~ Luke 9:58

"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, ‘whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.’ ~ Matt 25:37-40

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing ........ ~ Proverbs 28:27


We take many basic things in life for granted, like easy access to a bathroom, a fridge with leftovers in it for that mid afternoon snack, a dresser, our own bed ....

What is it you take for granted? Could you live without it for a day? Two days? A week?　

Nathan Adair, a Baylor University graduate, is living for 30-days-on-$30 to identify with the more than 1 billion people globally who live on $1 a day or less. He said "When you are really hungry, one raisin is like eating an ice cream sundae. Twenty-five-cent canned vegetable soup tastes like it came from a five-star restaurant."

Now, with all this, I'm not saying we all need to convert our homes into shelters for the homeless and go on 30 day fasts. We don't have to become Mother Theresa wana-bees. But, we can start off small, it's all part of loving God and loving people.

So, the next time a pan-handler is on the corner, next to your car, making you feel a little uncomfortable, think of how he feels. I dare you to look him in the eye and smile, maybe even hand him a buck or two (even if he does use it to buy beer). It doesn't have to be a huge gift. We are not going to solve the worlds problems, but, if a bunch of us are affecting one person every once in a while, that's huge.

Jesus also said "The poor you will always have with you"~ Matt 26:11

So you'll have lots of opportunities!