Homeless

Snow fell on her face like shards of glass. Donna was sure if she could touch her face, her fingers would come away bloody. Bent against the wind and cold she made her way to the line of human baggage waiting to get into the mission. How had this come to be her fate? At one time she had a job, a car, an apartment and nice things. Then she lost her job, and unemployment ran out. Selling everything she had to make the rent and pay for food. Then there was nothing to sell. She couldn't ask her friends for any more hand outs. Her phone had been cut off and there was no way to contact her.

Her parents had sold what they could to help her but they were far away and didn't have extra money to send. She was homeless and helpless. Tears that had coursed down her cheeks in the previous weeks were dry now. She had no feeling left; both from the cold and the despair.

The line was moving and she hoped she was close enough to the front to get in the doors. Warm air and the smell of food flowed over her as she entered the building. Chairs in rows faced a podium and she knew what to expect. There would be a church service, then food, then a bed.

Donna took her ticket and found a seat in the far corner of the room. She had been to church all her life. She had sung in the choir and taught Sunday School, but work and self had moved into her life and church took time from her goals. She closed her eyes against the sight of the church group who faced the needy. Familiar songs went forth and she hardened her heart as her ears heard the words. Then a woman stood and told how she and her husband had once been drug addicts. She told how at the lowest moment of her life, in a place like this, she heard for the first time about God and his Son. The moment she gave her heart and life to God the desire for drugs was taken away, she and her husband's lives were changed. Now they were here to offer help to anyone who wanted it.

The loud voice screamed in Donna's head that it was a lie. The woman had help. Someone had helped her get out of that life. Another softer voice countered with, 'freely ye ask, freely I give.'

Then all the things that happened in the past years raced through her mind. The times she had blown up at people, resisted taking the higher way and got her way. The reviews that she received from work about her attitude. The soft voice whispered, "If you would have sought me and found me, all this would not have happened."

Then a voice she heard was so loud she gripped the chair seat to keep from falling. "This was the fault of the economy. It happens to many people. You aren't so special to think that it wouldn't have happened if you had called on God for help. Don't be stupid."

The man in the front stood with tears in his eyes, "I am asking you to give up your self and let God take your life and make it His. Do you want this life so much that you won't take what goodness, peace and love He offers?"

Hurt, anger and fear warred with love and caring in Donna's heart. What she knew to be true; God did love her, inspite of all she had done. He loved her even though she had tried to do it all on her own and failed. How could he get her out of this mess, did she deserve to be helped?

"That isn't for you to figure out," The reformed drug addict was sitting next to her. The line for the cafeteria was down the wall and the church group were putting away their instruments.

Donna looked at the woman, "How did you know?"

"God told me to come tonight, to tell my story. Someone needed to hear it. Did you hear it?" Donna knew she wasn't asking if she listened to her story, but did she hear THE STORY.

"I know what to do. I was there once."

"Then what is holding you back?"

"You don't understand, I'm homeless, I have no place to go, no job, no clothes but these." Donna pointed to the backpack.

"Give it all to God. He can change it."

"How? There are no jobs out there, I have looked, I have no place to go."

"Why are you trying to do God's job?" was the woman's quiet response. "He wants you to just let him take care of you. You already know what to do."

The resistance in Donna broke and tears flowed from somewhere deep in her soul. She didn't care who was there or who heard. "Oh God I am sorry. Sorry for not believing you loved me and would care for me. Please give me a clean heart and make me ready for heaven. No matter what happens tonight, I want to know your love." Her heartfelt cries were heard and a sweet spirit filled her soul.

When she lifted her eyes she saw the lovely faces of the church group, she also saw faces of some of the other homeless people kneeling around them.

God is Good All of the time.