moments in time
I don't know that there is truly an adequate way to begin this post. I know that a lot of us, if not every single one of us, was heavily impacted by the events that transpired in Paris on Friday. I was on my way to attend a dance concert at KSU for my dance appreciation class when I learned of the news. In this day and age, it's pretty difficult to flee any knowledge of any massive event that occurs anywhere in the world. My heart was shattered by the news. As I saw the number of deaths continue to rise through the night, I could not escape the thought of, "why do events that turn our world upside down appear to be all too normal now?" Nowadays it seems like terrorist attacks, murders, devastation and a myriad of other events occur so frequently that we decide to acknowledge them with a quick post to Instagram, a Facebook profile picture change and an in depth discussion about it with our friends (all of which I continually do). But all too often these events come and go like everything else that rolls across our social media feeds. We're continually reminded of it, but are we really doing anything? Campaign-esque hashtags are started so that people may somehow rally together and banish the horrific actions of those people. Please don't get me wrong, none of these things are bad. I participate in every single thing I have said, but at the end of the day, what does that accomplish? We run the same carousel with the occurrence of each new event. When will something be done? What can we actually do to stop the actions that continue to destroy humanity? Is there anything we can do? Frankly, I don't know. All I know is that we have an opportunity to show love across the world to every single person we come into contact with on a daily basis. In the famous words of a man by the name of John Lennon, "all you need is love." I don't know what we can do about the events that transpired in Paris, but I know they need help. I don't know if you follow Jesus or not, but ask Him how He can use you. You'll be surprised at what He can use your life for. In light of the need that people in Paris need right now, it's also important to recognize that people here at home need help also. God put an opportunity to help out a homeless man in my life last week.
Last Tuesday I was driving home from KSU after World History (why do I go to that class) and I saw a homeless man at the corner of the exit ramp on I-75 for Glade Rd. I always see him, but I've never done anything. God said, "Why don't you help him?" So I rolled my window down and planned on giving him a few bucks. Instead he came to the window and asked for a ride to a house up the road. Without a second thought I said I'd do it. I pulled over, helped him gather his things, and we drove off. It didn't occur to me until he was in my vehicle that I had no idea who this man was. But honestly, I didn't care. Shortly after thanking me he started to talk about his life. He told me about his son that was murdered in 2009 in Acworth. He said that he was about my age when he had been murdered, and as soon as he said that he started to bawl. My heart was broken for this man. He told me that his name was Lane and that he's 51 years old. Just from looking at him, I knew he'd lived a hard life. He talked the entire way to the house, and it was so amazing to listen to all he had to say. All he wanted was somebody to sit and listen to him. When we got to the house, we sat and continued to talk. He told me about the church he goes to and how he knows Jesus is his Master. It warmed my heart to hear the incredible amount of faith that Lane has. All Lane needed someone to take him to this house to stay for the night. He needed someone to just listen to him. So often we put labels on people we come across, but it was so awesome to see that Lane was none of the labels that homeless people usually have put on them. He isn't a drunk, he doesn't use drugs and he's not lazy. I asked if I could take his picture and he obliged. I told him I wanted to tell his story, and he invited me inside to sit down and listen to his testimony and take notes. I would have done it in a heart beat, but I needed to get home and I felt a little uneasy about going in alone. After he left I just sat and thanked God for telling me to help him because now I have a new friend and a whole new story to tell when I go back and sit with him. I don't tell that story to elevate myself in any way. I tell that story to urge you to help those you see in need. So often we view others as a nuisance instead of a need. They have so much to offer you even though they may have nothing materially to give you. You can brightens someone's day so much by just saying hi and listening to them talk. You'd be amazed at what God can use those situations for. The next time you see someone on the side of the road or sitting alone on campus, take a second to say hi or talk to them. It's really scary, but after you do it, you walk away knowing you could have an impact on someones life. Again, "all you need is love." All is love