Giving transients hope

Coming home last Tuesday night I was in tears and asked God, "What's happening to young people today?" It was the second consecutive week transient homeless people 20 years of age and younger came to the Love In Action Ministry Center.

It's sad to see anyone homeless, but there's just something about seeing kids homeless that really tugs at my heart. I wonder, why are they homeless? Was life at home so bad they chose life on the streets? Were they rebellious and took flight? Or, do they just simply have no hope and don't really care how they live?

I believe the answer lies within all of those questions.

The latest two homeless kids we met were Josh and Stephanie. They said they were from New York City, but have been living in California. They said life was much better out there. They said they were heading back to NYC because one of Josh's family members was in bad health and dying.

We met them because Patrick, a former homeless man in Dothan who we helped off the streets, directed them to us.

They arrived on Monday night, the night we received 4 inches of rain in Dothan, Ala. Patrick told them they could stay in our bus to get out of the rain. He called me to make sure it was OK. Then on Tuesday night, Josh and Stephanie came to our Celebrate Recovery.

It was spaghetti night and they devoured it. Stephanie asked me, "Can we go back for seconds?" I told her they could go back as many times as they wanted to. Then we fixed them a to-go plate.

They picked out some new clothes at the LIA Ministry Center and trashed the clothes they were wearing. We also gave them hygiene items.

Most importantly, they experienced worship and heard the Word of God. And, they received hugs and prayer. That's what we do when we meet transient homeless people. We plant the seeds of God's Word in their hearts and show them the love of Jesus.

Our prayer is for God to send others their way to water those seeds and that one day they will realize the promise God gives all of us in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."