So please don't drag me down
with all the people and their troubles.
I had the privilege of going on a retreat today. I wasn’t expecting much. It was only from 9:30-3, really consisted of only two sessions, both Bible Studies. This week is one of the busiest weeks ever, so to take time out for this was a big leap of trust in God. I was a little worried that my mind would wander to the many things I could (and probably should) have been doing instead. It was a pretty good retreat. Nothing extraordinary about it - but I will honestly say, it was one of the best retreats of my life! God did so much for my heart today.
The session after lunch was what I was reminded of while praying tonight. We were talking about the conversion of St. Paul and how it relates to charity. The books we were using for the sessions are a new resource, 6 week Bible studies with the aim of leading people into service. This session was no different. It’s purpose was to lead us back into service, particularly charitable service. We got into talking about Mother Teresa and such things. Our facilitator talked about the homeless and how easy it is to miss them sometimes, but if you look for them, you see them everywhere.
After the retreat, I headed to the Catholic store in town to pick up items for First Communion (THIS WEEKEND!) O: On my way home from there, I passed a woman, holding a sign, begging for money. Because of things I’ve been told (by homeless people), I don’t like to give money. Chances are it’s not actually going to go for food - they can get that for free at the Church down the street. For a while, I used to actually carry around chips and other food to hand out. Today, I was stuck, I had no food. And even if I felt like giving money, I really only had 50 cents. So I passed by like she wasn’t even there, and have since felt completely horrible about it. It wasn’t until I started praying tonight that i realized we had just talked about reaching out to the needy like an hour or so before I passed her.
Dear Jesus, Help me to better see Your children as just that - Your children.
1 comment:
In high school, our youth group spent a night making bags for the homeless--paper grocery sacks filled with different items they might need, from a fresh pair of socks, non-perishable foods, toothpaste and toothbrush, to rosaries and information on resources available. The idea was you kept a few of these bags in the trunk of your car at all times, and the next time you saw a homeless person, you didn't have to worry about giving them money and what they would do with it or not having food on you... you just pulled the bag out of your trunk and gave it to them.
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