IS THIS YOU?

Most of us have heard the story of the homeless man walking into a church one Sunday morning and how very few people acknowledged his presence. He smelled bad, he was dirty, he was alone. Hear me? He was alone. Alone in the world, lost, confused, searching for answers. A few of the members greeted this man with open arms. However, most did not even acknowledge his presence. If this man happened to be you, how would this make you feel?

There are many people in this world professing to be Christians. Many people claim that they show love to people. And most of those people are judging the homeless, the prostitutes, the drug addicts, the depressed, the suicidal, the victim of domestic violence, the people who are so down and out they don't have any hope. You, yes you, may be the only person who can bring them back from the brink of giving up. You may be the only person who cares enough to provide a hot meal, to offer them a listening ear, to help them find that glimmer of hope and a light at the end of a dark tunnel they have been dwelling in.

I have been that lost and lonely person. I have felt the pain of physical and emotional abuse. I am that person who deals with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can be triggered by things that you have no idea I've lived through. I have been that person who wanted to die, begged God to take me Home and get me out of this hell I was enduring. I am the person who made it through those dark days because someone stepped up and never gave up, never turned me away, never stopped listening or offering a shoulder to cry on. That person saved my life. That person gave me hope. That person loved me with the love of Christ and because of that person, I am here today.

Life can be difficult, so difficult that many feel or have felt exactly the way I just described. There is an enormous field out there of hurting people who simply need to know that someone genuinely loves and cares about them.

I'm sharing this because I want you to realize how much you are needed. Sitting silently, feeling sorry for or even judging those who have lost hope is not going to save their lives. Taking action, reaching out, holding their hand, or even crawling along beside them until they are able to stand on their own again is what we need in this world. Love, pure, unadulterated, heart felt love is the answer that can save lives. If you can help just one person, are you willing to do so? Seriously? Are you? I know I am.

I implore you to take note of all the ways God has carried you when you were so hurt, so lonely, so beaten down that you couldn't fathom the possibility of living outside your dark cloud of despair. You may be working with someone today that smiles brightly but has a hollow place inside that can only be reached by you, because you may be the only one who cares enough to say "I'm here for you, you're not alone". It may be someone in your school, your neighbor, or even a fellow church member who desperately needs that spark of encouragement that can only come from you.

Please, reach out when you sense that someone is hurting, lonely, or you simply know something isn't right but you don't know what it is. Many people are so isolated that they are afraid to reach out for help, for support. However, they are willing to let you in, if you don't give up. You could be their light at the end of the tunnel. Are you willing to step out and do that?

If you are the person reading this that is that hurting person, afraid to face another tomorrow, who feels like giving up, who sees no hope for a better future, know that you are deeply loved. I love you, I care. I will be that person whom you can talk to, open up to, who will listen or guide you when you need me to. I will walk with you, crawl with you, help you in any way I possibly can, because I love you, and I know how it feels to be where you are today. I know that it takes just one person to show you that you can stand with your head held high as long as you are willing to take my hand when I reach out to you. I will willingly share with you the love God has shown to me, and help you find your way.

God bless and keep you, my friends. I am praying for you.