I’ve never been bare, without walls, without a mask. I am always hiding my emotions in the presence of strangers and many times with everyone else. I tend to be prepared, guard up, equipped with shield. It seems safe.
One Sunday night during our China Town outreach we came upon these two homeless ladies and offered them some sandwiches. When we stopped to talk one of the ladies surprised me. Emotion, hurt, sorrow and fear leaked from her eyes as she reached out for comfort.
She wept...the kind of weeping I only do in the presence of my closest friends, behind the comfort of walls.
I have always assumed that people on the streets are broken and hurting. For the most part this is a true assumption but I have never experienced the brokenness like I did at that moment. She was not looking for my spare change but for a hug and the comfort that could bring.
It brought more meaning to the verse "man does not live by bread alone"... The need for God, and God being active in us. "The greatest of these is Love."
We sat with them for a long while, listening and talking. She gave each one of us in the group a stuffed animal from her collection that she carried with her. We loved her unconditionally and this was her way of returning that love.
