Last Sunday, as I was talking with the youth group, they were lit on fire. I was telling them about my walks in Balboa Park, how I meet people and pray for them. When they heard about the homeless people, they wanted to help. They asked if I would go around and ask them what they needed because the kids want to gather these things together and take them to them. Isn’t that beautiful! So, I went.
On Monday, a couple of friends came out to the park to hang out with me and pray for people (or do whatever else God had planned for that lunch time). As we began to walk, we met a homeless man named “Russ.” As I sat down to tell him about the youth group, I asked him if he needed anything. What he needed was to be off of meth. He’s on a viscous cycle and can’t get off. He said he wasn’t normally on that side of the park, but that day, he was. We knew why. We prayed for him a few times and went on our way.
We decided to go to the part of the park where the homeless people sit at the picnic tables. When you approach a homeless person, immediately, you see a wall go up. They don’t want to trust you…barely will give you a name, and if they “do” give you a name, you have no idea if it’s real. I’ve met people before, and after I talk with them a bit, they say, “My real name is…” I love that! It means the Spirit of Truth grabbed hold of their heart. It’s amazing! It always makes my soul giggle.
As we approached a couple of people at one of the tables, the woman just looked at us. I asked if they knew where a couple were whom I had met. They had no idea, so we stayed and talked with them. I explained about the passion of the youth group and asked if there was anything she needed, she said, “No.” Anita walked up to pray for her, and I scooted toward the young man sitting with her, Ray. He said he didn’t need prayer but wanted a blessing. He was so grateful.
As I was sitting there with my pen in hand and notebook in front of me, Heather opened up. She said, “I only have two t-shirts.” She also mentioned she needed sweats. I wrote down her sizes. Then she said her husband needed socks. Ray asked for pants and boxers and also expressed a desire for socks. It was really cool how their walls came down, and they decided to trust. I can’t wait for the youth group to meet them!
At one point, I asked Heather if she needed any girly things. She said, “I’m not girly.” I said, “Neither am I” and smiled. She smiled back. I love how God makes us unique and how that uniqueness forms an unspoken bond
Worship Flags and Infinity Scarfs 