I have
seen a lot of things this past year. I
have seen broken, helpless, hurting, and desperate people. So how do I not get desensitized? How do I maintain a heart of compassion even
when I see another homeless man with a bottle, another addict strung out on the
road, another person caught in poverty.
Well,
this week I had an encounter that made me recognize the importance of seeing
the unseen. As our team worked on
selling tickets for a benefit concert, there was a man strung out from huffing
glue that wandered around us. I saw him
but he looked too high to engage in conversation so I turned my back. Even as I turned around I knew in my heart
this man just needed to be seen by someone but I didn’t really know what I
could do for him. A few minutes later I turned
around to find my two teammates Jen and Sydney sitting by this gentleman. I joined them in conversation and my heart
was transformed with compassion for our new friend Alberto. We invited him to the benefit concert with
little hope he would show up.
.
Alberto
though, proved us wrong and arrived at the event. We asked if he knew the singers and if that’s
why he came. He said he came because we
had walked by him the day before and saw him and talked to him. He said he came because there would now be
people he knew there. At that moment I
realized I had underestimated God’s ability to use us. I really didn’t think a
conversation would help this man as high as he was. But, the compassion
the Lord poured out on him through us the day before was what moved this
man’s heart to come for more.
At the
concert, leaning over talking to him the fumes of the glue he had hidden
somewhere on his body stung my nose. But,
I realized the Lord was moving greatly in Alberto’s life and I didn’t want to
miss anything the Lord was doing. Alberto’s
face lights up when we talk to him. His eyes twinkle and his smile shines. This makes my soul happy and I have a heart
for this man that the Lord loves so much.
Alberto is only 26 and has dreams and hopes but he needs to be seen and
heard and needs to know the God of the universe is desperately in love with him. Please pray with us as we partner with the Lord
in pursuit of Alberto. Remember to keep
your heart open to how the Lord can use you to be the hope and encouragement in
someone’s life.
