First of all, this is not a picture I took.
I found it on the web.
I do live in an area that has many homeless people walking around.
Nothing like a big city, just maybe 15 that live in the area on a regular basis.
Our family has names for some of them.
For example, the lady that yells all the time is obviously
"the Yelling Lady."
Makes sense right?
It is kinda nice giving the "regulars" a name. Makes it like they are supposed to be there.
There is one guy we call "the guy with the dog", well because he has a dog, and he is just quiet.
He never asks for money.
He never bothers anyone.
He just survives.
One evening my husband and I went to the auto parts store. I said I would wait in the truck, I don't remember why. So he went inside and I stayed out there by myself just checking out the world around me that evening.
Our local auto part store is right next to a Blockbuster with a cute little breeze way in between. It has trees and a little bench that faces in to the glass walls of the video store. I had never noticed before that you could sit on the bench there and watch the movie playing in the video store. No sound but incredible picture on a big screen. Where we had parked the truck I could see this area perfectly. On that bench was "the guy with the dog" sitting there watching a movie with his dog. He had some water in a cup and some in a bowl for his dog laying at his feet. I saw him take out the last bit of something he had to eat from the shopping cart he keeps all his belongings in, and take a bite for himself then give the rest to his dog. When the dog finished his bite the man began to play with him. The smile on his face was amazing.
Then he noticed I was watching so he stopped.
He poured the left over water from his cup into his hands, rubbed them together for a quick washing then through his hair. Then he grabbed his dogs bowl tossed the water to the tree, whistled for his dog and quietly left with a slight nod to me.
I was so touched by what I had seen.
I don't know why, but he really seemed to hit somewhere in my heart.
Was it the love he was showing his dog?
The fact that he had nothing but shared what he had with this dog?
Was it that he seemed embarrassed that I witnessed something so personal?
I don't know.
I do know that I have thought of him often since that night.
In a way of giving the homeless more of a personal emotions.
I know I tell my kids to not make fun of them because we don't know why they are there.
The "Yelling Lady" I believe went crazy from something bad that happened to someone she loves. I have stopped to listen to her ranting, and its scary. Terrible scary things she is yelling at someone for doing to someone.
This gentleman has a story to.
I don't know what it is, nor is it my place to ask him right now.
I have decided that it is my place to help him in small ways.
I have started looking for him specifically as we drive.
I have given him change when that was what was in my purse.
I have seen him outside of a store watching a car show from a distance, out of the way of others, so my daughters and I went into the store and bought him dinner, snacks and dog treats. We then not to be intrusive, dropped them by his side and just said "God bless you sir."
I have seen him again trying to just be in the shadows of life near our post office where again I just touched his shoulder (getting braver now) and said "How are you doing today?"
He looked at me at that moment,
I swear it was Jesus,
and said "bless you, thank you Ma'am."
Wow.
I was floored. 5 simple words, yet they mean so much to me.
Now I am feeling empowered that this is what I need to do.
Not take care of all the homeless.
I can't just take them into my home and make them better.
Yet sometimes, it is the kindness of a stranger with little things like a touch, a caring word or left over change that can mean the world.
I will be crocheting him a scarf for the cold weather that is coming.
Becca and I thought that with some homemade cookies would be a nice little gift.
Just because.
Can you imagine how great this world would be if we all did something like this?
Every family that has, does something for one family or person who has not?
The whole world would have.
Have more than things, but blessings.
What a wonderful thought.
Have a blessed day~
Our local auto part store is right next to a Blockbuster with a cute little breeze way in between. It has trees and a little bench that faces in to the glass walls of the video store. I had never noticed before that you could sit on the bench there and watch the movie playing in the video store. No sound but incredible picture on a big screen. Where we had parked the truck I could see this area perfectly. On that bench was "the guy with the dog" sitting there watching a movie with his dog. He had some water in a cup and some in a bowl for his dog laying at his feet. I saw him take out the last bit of something he had to eat from the shopping cart he keeps all his belongings in, and take a bite for himself then give the rest to his dog. When the dog finished his bite the man began to play with him. The smile on his face was amazing.
Then he noticed I was watching so he stopped.
He poured the left over water from his cup into his hands, rubbed them together for a quick washing then through his hair. Then he grabbed his dogs bowl tossed the water to the tree, whistled for his dog and quietly left with a slight nod to me.
I was so touched by what I had seen.
I don't know why, but he really seemed to hit somewhere in my heart.
Was it the love he was showing his dog?
The fact that he had nothing but shared what he had with this dog?
Was it that he seemed embarrassed that I witnessed something so personal?
I don't know.
I do know that I have thought of him often since that night.
In a way of giving the homeless more of a personal emotions.
I know I tell my kids to not make fun of them because we don't know why they are there.
The "Yelling Lady" I believe went crazy from something bad that happened to someone she loves. I have stopped to listen to her ranting, and its scary. Terrible scary things she is yelling at someone for doing to someone.
This gentleman has a story to.
I don't know what it is, nor is it my place to ask him right now.
I have decided that it is my place to help him in small ways.
I have started looking for him specifically as we drive.
I have given him change when that was what was in my purse.
I have seen him outside of a store watching a car show from a distance, out of the way of others, so my daughters and I went into the store and bought him dinner, snacks and dog treats. We then not to be intrusive, dropped them by his side and just said "God bless you sir."
I have seen him again trying to just be in the shadows of life near our post office where again I just touched his shoulder (getting braver now) and said "How are you doing today?"
He looked at me at that moment,
I swear it was Jesus,
and said "bless you, thank you Ma'am."
Wow.
I was floored. 5 simple words, yet they mean so much to me.
Now I am feeling empowered that this is what I need to do.
Not take care of all the homeless.
I can't just take them into my home and make them better.
Yet sometimes, it is the kindness of a stranger with little things like a touch, a caring word or left over change that can mean the world.
I will be crocheting him a scarf for the cold weather that is coming.
Becca and I thought that with some homemade cookies would be a nice little gift.
Just because.
Can you imagine how great this world would be if we all did something like this?
Every family that has, does something for one family or person who has not?
The whole world would have.
Have more than things, but blessings.
What a wonderful thought.
Have a blessed day~
2 comments:
I think you are doing a great thing!! I agree that we should all try and do something to help with those who have not. That would be awesome and the world would be a better place!! Keep us updated about the guy and his dog! I feel touched by him, too!
wow this post is truly amazing and touched my heart so deeply.God Bless you for helping this man and his dog.
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