A few weeks ago, as I was heading back to our ministry, a kid approached me asking for money. He looked like he was about fifteen years old. He seemed to be wearing clothes that was too big for him. As he got closer I was able to see that the clothes weren’t too big, but that he was just really skinny. His face was really dirty and he was also missing some teeth. His veins were also really noticeably on his neck. I couldn’t tell if this was from just being skinny or if it was a consequence of doing too many drugs. After a few minutes of talking to him another younger boy came up and started asking for money too. I immediately wanted to give them both money, but I remembered that we are not supposed to give money out because most likely the money would go to someone who was forcing them to beg or that the money would go towards drugs. I told them both that instead of money that I would buy them food from the gas station. At first they said no, but they changed their minds after being asked again. We went to the gas station and I bought them some drinks and some snacks. One of them specifically wanted some banana bread so I bought him that too. They both thanked me and left back to the streets. After they left I couldn’t help, but feel absolutely broken for those kids. They had never asked for the life they were given, and they certainly didn’t deserve it. It made me reflect on my own life and even though I have gone through some difficult times in my life I could not come up with anything even remotely close as to what those two kids have probably been through. I was then reminded that the shadows in life prove that there is sunshine. Hope even in the smallest form can drown out the darkness, and God has instilled in us all the ability to give hope to others by serving and loving each other. I may not have been able to do a whole lot, but it was an opportunity to love someone and I was not going to miss out. God gives us daily the opportunity to love and to serve we just have to make the decision to act upon it.
