beautiful feet.

Friday through Saturday I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to downtown San Diego. A trip, 20 minutes from home. And it was life changing. It's so true when people say don't go to the nations before you go to the nation your in, or don't try to jump ahead in ministry until you handle what's in front of you. I was pretty excited to go reach out to the homeless people of downtown. I didn't know what to expect, and I've always had a heart for homeless people- and I wanted more compassion for who they were as individuals, and not the group they've all been classified under. It was beautifully eye opening to sit in the dirt with them and develop relationship over charity.
Something God was speaking to me: Romans 10:15
NKJV: And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
ESV: And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
NLT: And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

It was like stepping into another world. And once again I opened my eyes to something. When you think about the government, law enforcers, businessmen, and people who inhabit the downtown area and even the visitors, tourists, etc- most of them (us) have a rotten taste in our mouths towards the homeless. We can walk past in our nice clothes on our way to buy something we don't need (and hey work hard, and buy what you want, it's all good) & give no thought to the old man sitting up against a wall. They've begun to push the homeless as far (East i believe) as they could. They've become an annoyance, a dirtying of the streets, and less than the worth of your average every day human- to the eyes of most. All in all our sin and weaknesses are lackings are equal, have we forgotten that? We all know money, careers, things, don't make us, but do we really know that? And as this wasn't just another trip to downtown, walking past those people who "only want your money for drugs or alcohol" I began to see something different.

Some things certain homeless people said to me that stuck:

"It's not so much as what you bring to us, but that you bring yourselves"
"Just because I'm homeless doesn't mean I'm not smart..... I love to read books about quantum physics"
"Your like an angel, I really do appreciate what you guys are doing for us"
"Take those to someone else who needs them more than me". (food, sanitizing products)


They were all beautiful people, with lives like my own and those I know- but now living in a way I find hard to imagine. I met a man who'd been on the streets for 18 years, an ex-voiceover artist and talk show host who starred in the spacejam movie as marvin the martian, a guy who called himself elvis & his wife who sang us some of the songs he'd written for her, a lady who had come to be homeless because of her addiction to heroine, a man who was part of the last generations of African Americans to live in slavery in the US, a man who hadn't seen his children for years- some graduates of berkley and other colleges and universities- off to be doctors, etc. So many people, voices, faces, stories- their friendships formed in the common bond of having lost all. It was amazing how the cliche of what most people describe the attitudes of homeless people and the cause of how they got there was broken down when you actually talked to them. I talked to many people with lovely hearts, broken hearts, bitter hearts, empty hearts, happy hearts------- but not homeless hearts. And something else, they loved to be smiled at, to shake our hands, to be asked questions, to laugh. It wasn't about pity and charity- and what I could give to them materiastically- although they greatly appreciated hygene products and food- they wanted something more along the lines of unmerited love. God loves them so much, I began to feel that as I was with them. Even to just sit and let them talk, and to just listen- I could tell how much it meant to them.

We spent time this morning making mother's day cards. We got to show love to all the mothers with home made cards and red roses. Some of those mothers had been disowned by their children, or hadn't seen them in countless months, or even years. I remember this one lady, who sat in the middle of two men....while we were talking to the man named Oneil, I was watching her look through the things we gave her. She organized the soaps, hair ties, and miscellaneous things with a thankful look on her face, but then she picked up her mother's day card- and this genuine smile sneaked humbly across. She reached for the rose and smelled it. Small and simple things can soften the heart of stone, can heal the cuts and wounds, can bring hope. Rachel Hickson told us we were called to find treasure hidden in dark places. When you have a jewel you get it appraised for it's worth- someone carefully examines it at an intense magnification, but cleans it off first, and the worth is determined, a detailed report written. But gentle care and undivided attention is required to appraise it properly- and the person who does it must have invested into their knowledge of jewels to recognize its value. I think I found some real diamonds yesterday and today.