Pre-Seattle (God is SO GOOD!)

So I haven't written on this blog in a while but I decided to write another post becomes of certain events. This spring break (one week from now) I will be going on a mission's trip to Seattle with Campus Crusade for Christ. We will be working with the homeless and the youth of Seattle within a five day period. I'm pretty excited about going to Seattle and getting to share Jesus Christ to people. I wasn't sure how I was going to be with Homeless people because I was beginning very tired of the same homeless people come up to me and say that they have ran out of gas and need to get to Chicago to see their family. One person in particular has been telling me this since the beginning of my freshman year. I lost some of the heart I had for homeless people and had began to ignore them as they asked me for money. I realized this a couple of weeks ago and asked God to give me a heart for the homeless. This reminded me of the same "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. Such a good song! I just hoped that God would give me the same love, grace and mercy that he showed towards me.

God definitely answered this prayer this past friday night. I was walking to my friend's apartment at around 9:00 pm which is about a 10 min walk. During my walk, a homeless lady sitting at a bus stop was calling to me. My first thought was to just continue walking and go on with my life. But I then heard something in my head, pretty sure it was God, telling me to turn back. So I walked back and the lady asked me if I would sit with her. I sat down on the bus stop bench with her and she asked if she could use my phone to make a phone call. I let her use my phone and she made a phone call to somebody. After she was done with the phone call she went on to tell me that her name was Cynthia. She said that her long was hurting her a lot and that she had been waiting for the bus for a while. We went on to talk about Christianity and she stated that she was a believer and asked what I believed. So I told her my beliefs and she seemed to be very encouraged by this and asked if I could pray for her. She said that very someone like her, it is a dream if someone could take her out of this cold. There are so many people out there who are in this cold and would love to be in the warmth. She said to help someone like her one needs to bring her into a place that is filled with warmth... or something like that. I don't remember the conversation 100% so forgive me if it seems slightly vague. But anyway, this was so encouraging for me and I haven't been this excited to pray for someone in a while to be honest. During the prayer I just felt God giving me the words that He wanted me to speak to Cynthia.

She seemed to have much more energy and more life after the prayer and we began to talk so more. I told her that I was going to Seattle in a week to minister to homeless and the youth. She then gave me some advice on speaking to the homeless and repeated the statement about the warmth and coldness. I thought this was really relevant to what I was going to do because those who don't know Jesus are currently in darkness and can be in very cold places within their lives. But once someone excepts Jesus they feel the life and light that comes from Jesus Christ. They are rescued from the darkness, from the cold, and are surround by his light and his warmth!

This is definitely what I needed to have happen to me before I went off to Seattle. God has an amazing way of teaching me something and just enabling me to have a heart for every type of person. So I waited for Cynthia until the bus came and she went on her way. God is so good!!! Right? :)

Matthew 25:40-45

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'

1 John 4:8

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.