Love God and Love Others

This weekend I went to downtown Seattle with two of my kids and our great friend. If you are not from this area...Seattle has a very diverse group of people. Seattle is only an hour away from our house, yet it seems like a different environment all together. If you are in downtown Seattle there is so much to do from the aquarium to Pike Place Market, shopping to sight seeing, parks to boating.

When we found out we were given an amazing gift of going to Seattle to see the Beauty & the Beast musical and staying overnight in a hotel, our family knew that God would want us to give back his blessing. One day God placed on my heart to collect items to make Care Bags for the homeless. So we put a plea out on Facebook and to our church that we wanted to collect certain items to fill some bags. We asked for: new socks, deodorant, soap, Kleenex, hand wipes, granola bars, trail mix, crackers, fruit snacks, etc. In fact we were able to get a lot more with the money donated. We got the portable packages of tuna, raisins, shampoo,toothbrushes, toothpaste and so much more. We found the extra large zip lock bags which hold 2 gallons and filled 8 of them full with "goodies". I wrote a Jeremiah 29:11 on a note card and on the other side wrote a short note...each was different...I prayed over each one and then put one in each bag.

Saturday we left our hotel room with 8 large bags in hands...asking the Lord to guide us. We met Daniel first. He wanted to know how much it cost. Free we said. He looked at the bag and began to list out items he saw. We asked if we could pray for him and if it was okay to put our hands on him as we prayed. So on that street corner we prayed for Daniel. Then we met Donald who was playing his trumpet and was thrilled to hear my daughter Madie played the trumpet. He told us all about his trumpet and showed us the dent and how old it was, but how he loved it. He was full of joy and talked to the kids. We prayed for him. Later we saw him and he played Amazing Grace for us. Then there was Lisa who was reluctant and quiet, but took her bag. Then we met 19 year old Cherokee who was married to Jaron. We left a bag for her friend Jamie who had had left his bag and would be right back. We prayed for all of them. Then we met Ted. He took the bag but did not want prayer. We prayed for him as we walked away. After that we met Star. I could write a whole blog on Star...she touched me heart as I looked her in the eye to see the despair and vacant look she had. She had no hope. I wanted to sit with her all day to reassure her and tell her how beautiful she was. After Star we met Rodriguez. He wasn't homeless, but shining shoes. He was full of personality. He didn't want a bag but wanted prayer. He was fun and full of joy. The last person we gave a bag to was Coreen. She was crying and sad, but all dressed up in her old fur coat and red hat. She said it was her birthday...but I think it may be her birthday every day.

There are so many people who are lacking hope. Who can't see joy. Who are in despair because they feel alone. Many of the people we met we joyful when we talked to them, but for Star and Coreen and Daniel and Lisa...their life was hopeless in their eyes.

Later that day we came across a man who was preaching the Salvation message on the sidewalk. He had an easel with a very large diagram he had drawn and he sat there talking about sin and drawing a visual of sin on one side and salvation on the other and that sin separates us from God...and the bridge to get there is Jesus...Yes...people need to hear this...but he was talking to himself. No one was listening.

And here is all he had to do to tell this same message. Literally remove the poster board from the easel and look across the street to the benches to see the lost and homeless...drop the poster board...go and sit with the people and tell them how God loves them and comfort their broken hearts. Bring hope to the lost. He spent his day with a blinder up...blocking him from what God really wants us to do...which is to Love God and Love Others. Yes, we need to share the message...but who is going to hear if we aren't loving on others.

Really...I wish I would have walked over to him and taken his poster down and pointed to his mission field. I wanted to say...put down your pen and go sit...go sit and show them who this God is that you are preaching about. Show them. Show them. Show them.

I am a good talker.

I want to be a servant.

Enough Said.

Love you all....

Please pray for my dear friend Eileen and her family. I will talk about it more later...but we may lose from this earth one amazing servant of the Lord...and although I can't mess with God's plans...my heart breaks at the thought of her not being here.

Teresa