God, give me eyes to see them as You do

A homeless couple walk to their campsite in Dothan, Alabama.

As I dropped a homeless couple off at their campsite recently, tears filled my eyes. They were thankful for all of the help they received at Love In Action, and the prospects of a job for him added a spark of hope to their lives as well.

We have known this couple for a while. Like many others, we share the Gospel with them every time we see them, and help them with their physical needs. They are thankful. Still, my heart goes out to them and all of the others.

The homeless are survivors. They are better equipped to handle living conditions when disaster strikes than most of us, because they are already living in that kind of situation. When we receive materials for disaster relief it’s perfect for the homeless. They know how to eat a MRE. Snack boxes? We hand them out daily. Flashlights, batteries, tents, sleeping bags, bug spray, bottled water ... that’s a way of life for our friends.

As I took the photo above, my heart hurt. I’m thankful it did. I prayed and asked God to always let me have a heart for the hurting, and to see them as He does. I don’t want to grow callous, insensitive, indifferent or jaded. God could easily be that way toward all of us, but He's not.

God keeps loving us and looking at those of us who are followers of Jesus as His own children. We slip. We fall. We take God for granted. We make mistakes. But, He keeps loving us, wanting more for our lives if we will just completely surrender to Him.

I always want to see others as God does. I don’t want to ever give up on anyone. When you see the same people day-in and day-out living the same kind of lifestyle, you can easily become jaded. But, no. God doesn’t, so I don’t want to either. That’s why prayer is so important.

No matter what’s going on in someone’s life, don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep reaching out. They may never respond, but maybe they will.

When you see the homeless, don’t pre-judge and call them bums or losers. Don’t tell them or think to yourself, “they need to get a job.” It’s not that simple. Yes, a job for many is part of the solution, but it’s not that easy.

Instead of judging and criticizing, pray for them. Go even further and help them. Love In Action is a great place to volunteer. We would love to serve with you. There are other wonderful ministries as well. Find where God wants you and respond with love.

They are waiting for us. Will we respond and show them Jesus?