In the last couple of weeks Chad and I have been blessed to be part of an experience through church that has really touched us both. As Chad said last night "Everyone should have to do something like this". Crosspoint has chosen a shelter here in the city to support financially and in any other way that we as a church can. It is a new shelter that just this year has been granted permission to also be a warming centre which means they will open earlier and stay open later so that when it is so cold the homeless have somewhere to go and stay warm. The church has offered to help cover their extra expenses when it comes to their utilities for those months they are open extra hours. There is also a team from the church going there on the 28th to cook a turkey dinner for some of the needy families. Plus there will be gifts taken to the shelter. The part in all of this that has touched Chad and I so deeply is there was an opportunity to choose either a needy family to make up a hamper for or a homeless person to make up a backpack for. We chose to do the backpack.
The man we chose is 43 years old and his name is Craig. We will probably never see him face to face and he will never know any more about us than that we go to Crosspoint and what our first names are. We were given a list of ideas of what to fill his backpack with. A backpack filled with warmth. So we went shopping. We bought a backpack, long underwear, a fur lined hat, fleece pants, mitts, undershirts, Chad went through his clothes and found some long sleeve shirts and a sweater, (a friend donated another warm sweater), wool socks, boxer shorts, shaving supplies, toothpaste and toothbrush, lip balm, lotion, deodorant, goodies like chocolate and granola bars, etc. We have put out quite a bit of money for all of this but it still doesn't feel like enough.
If you are like Chad and I and have never worked with homeless people or had experiences with them you will understand when I say that as we shopped for all these items we were really struck with what being homeless might be like. It affected every decision we made for what we bought for him and we didn't really care how much it cost. As Chad said last night he feels bad doing it, bad because we have so much, so many things, we want for nothing. I was in Walmart yesterday looking for some decent wool socks that wouldn't be too itchy or uncomfortable and would still be warm and all of a sudden I just felt overwhelmed with it all, with what I was really doing and why, and I had to get myself under control because all I could think about was the fact that I was buying these socks for someone who has nothing, for someone who will most likely treasure the things we are giving him as we would treasure an expensive new car or house or computer or whatever and yet he will be genuinely grateful and not take it for granted. I could have just sat down right there and cried and prayed for him.
I am going to wash all of the clothes tomorrow and make them smell all clean and fresh. I am going to enjoy putting everything together for Craig and praying over everything and pouring lots of love into it. My hope and my prayer is not just that he will be warm this winter or that the clothes will fit or that he isn't allergic to nuts but that it will all bring a smile to his face and a little joy to his heart and that he will feel the love that is going into it all and that he will know we are thinking of him and praying for him and that God loves him more than he will ever be able to comprehend. That when he is having a down day and feeling unloved and forgotten he will remember these two people whom he has never met and that they reached out to try and make his days and nights a little easier and warmer, that he will wonder what it is that would inspire them to do something like this and that he would find God in it all and know that God is there waiting for him.
On Sunday everyone who chose a hamper or backpack is supposed to take it back to the church where they are going to pile everything up and have some people pray over them, including some of the children and youth. Yes, I will be taking lots of kleenex with me!
I would encourage all of you to take the time to truly be thankful for all that God has blessed you with. As I sit here right now I wonder where Craig is and if he is warm and if he knows that he is special and loved and I am so incredibly thankful for my quilt, my sofa, my clothes, my home sweet home.
