Powerful Lessons from my Dad

Last week, our prayers were answered and my homeless Dad finally made to East Texas!! It would take too long to tell you about all the many ways that God has been at work in my Dad’s life. In short, it is a joy to know that my Dad is sleeping in a bed each night and getting three meals a day. However, it’s just hard to know how to love and support him during this time. It is safe to say that I have shed a lot of tears!

Over a month ago, God began to ask me to see people as He sees people. Little did I know that God would begin to help me see life through my Dad’s eyes.

There is a negative attitude about homelessness in this country. I am not pointing fingers, because I was one of these people! I never wanted to give a homeless person money, because they might spend it on drugs or alcohol. I never wanted to pick up a homeless person, because they might be some kind of psycho serial killer. In my mind, I would look down on the homeless and just assume that they brought this upon themselves.

I knew God’s word said to “sell everything you have and give to the poor” (Luke 18:22), but the reality is that my heart was cold toward homeless men and women. Seeing life through my Dad’s eyes has shown me that homeless people are just like you and me!!

Let me make myself very clear, not everyone who becomes homeless has a drug and alcohol problem. Unexpectedly, my Dad’s life took a turn for the worst and he has not been able to get back on his feet. He’s not a psycho killer, just my Dad and my girls’ Grandpa and we love him very much!

I am not perfect, but I am thankful that God is changing my heart!! Every homeless person that I see holds a special place in my heart, because when I look at them I see my Dad. I want to help them, because I hope and pray that someone will look past the stereotype and reach out to my Dad.

Finally, I want to say how thankful I am to the men and women who saw my Dad as a real person and reached out to him while he was on his “journey” from Washington to Texas. Thank you for giving him money, food, rides, shoes, backpacks, and so much more!! Your gifts and kindness are making a huge difference in his life!!

So, if you see my Dad (or any other homeless person) around town, please shake their hand and look in them in the eye and ask if there is anyway that you can help them. Sometimes just treating them like a child of God is all they really need!

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
- James 2:26