A few weeks ago I finished The World Race training camp and began traveling up and down the East Coast visiting amazing friends. It was great being able to spend time with those who have supported me throughout this life changing journey, but I felt God really tugging on my shirt about something. I didn’t know what it was at first and so I kept on praying for clarity on what it was He was trying to get my attention about. I felt as if He wanted to teach me something and I had no clue what He wanted to teach me, or maybe I just wasn’t listening. Finally, last week I decided to listen and heard God place on my heart those who are homeless. More specifically, I heard God say you need to go be homeless for a day. At first I thought “God how in the world would you like for me to be homeless?” The answer was easy, I just didn’t like the answer. I could very clearly hear God say, “Alex you have a perfect opportunity for me to help you grow and more importantly spread my Word in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio”. I didn’t know exactly who God was going to send my way or what He wanted me to learn, but I knew He wanted me to do this.
The parameters were simple: I could not use any of my own money for food, only money that I received from begging, I could not have my cell phone with me at anytime during the day, and I have to find a place to sleep on the streets. Also, I knew that I couldn’t go into downtown Cincinnati dressed how I normally dress, so I found an old pair of jeans that had holes in them and ripped them up a little more. In addition, I also wore a hoodie & beanie that had definitely seen better days to make myself look as if I was homeless. It also helped I hadn’t shaved some of my face in well over a month. The temperatures that day was 54 as the high and 35 as the low so I also wore 3 long sleeve shirts to stay warm during the night.
I began begging on one of the streets next to Fountain Square where a lot of people go during the holiday season because of the festive scenery and giant ice rink next to one of Cincinnati’s most historic landmarks. I figured I would have the best chance to receive money in this location. So I sat down on the concrete ground about half a block from Fountain Square and began to beg. I had created a cardboard sign for people to read as they walked on by that read, “I’m a child of God just like you…I’m homeless and anything helps God Bless, Jeremiah 31:2”. I felt the need to have my sign reflect God because I didn’t care about the money. Sure it would’ve been nice to get a warm coffee or sandwich, but regardless if people agreed with my sign or not, they saw God’s word. There were hundreds if not thousands of people who walked by me as I pretended to be homeless which means for those who chose to read my sign meant that hundreds of people were exposed to God’s word and I just think that’s one amazing thing! There is a very good chance that a decent amount of people may have gone home and looked up Jeremiah 31:2 which meant God spoke to those human being whether they were believers or not. Praise Jesus!!!
So I began to beg for hours on end at Fountain Square and no one was giving me money. I payed attention to those who passed me, most didn’t even care to look at me. I saw every walk of life strut on by. Some people were business men & women in there suits talking on there iPhones not caring I existed. Some were old, some were young. Some people middle aged folks who were going about their business in life, but in the end does it really matter? We are all children of God because when He created us in our mother’s womb He said, “This is perfect”. After begging for quite some time multiple people began to throw dollar bills in my cup including a man who gave me three dollars. Not only that, but he also cared to know who I was and even talked to me. He asked me how my day was and if I wanted to eat lunch with him. I accepted his invitation and he bought me a chicken sandwich at Wendy’s. The entire time we just talked about each other’s lives and I thought it was a perfect time to share the gospel. Turns out he didn’t believe in God, but believed we are all connected in some form or another. I asked if I could pray with him and he declined, but I believe that even though he didn’t let me pray for him, I was still able to plant a seed for God to grow in that man’s life by speaking to him about Jesus. God works in everyone’s lives differently and we all have different stories given to us by Christ. Sometimes it takes years or even a lifetime for us to accept Christ and I pray that God comes into his life and changes it forever.
The day went on and continuously hundreds of people walked by me never even looking me and every once and a while people would graciously donate one dollar bills. One woman in fact gave me a dollar bill, but once I realized Abraham Lincoln was on the dollar bill my heart jumped because I couldn’t believe the generosity of that woman. Another person gave me a zip-lock bag that contained Pringles, granola bar, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes with a note that said “Have a nice day :)”. I slowly but surely realized my discouragement of seeing thousands of people walk by me without giving me anything began to go away. I started to have so much happiness because of the less than ten people who gave to me all day. I couldn’t stay in one spot all the time because the police began to keep an eye on me. One police officer told me that I couldn’t sit down and beg in certain areas so I was kicked out of my spot. That was a little discouraging knowing I couldn’t be in a spot silently begging for money because I was homeless.
The sun had fully set and the temperatures were dropping into the 30’s quickly. I threw on my second hoodie preparing for the cold night ahead. I counted all the money I received throughout the day I was able to collect $17.68 without having to pay for a meal because I was given two meals by others. I decided to spend some of the money on warm coffee for both my migraine headache I had and for my hands that were freezing. I also spent some money a granola bar and three White Castle little burgers. For those who know what White Castle is you know those little burgers are the greatest thing of all time and they are crazy cheap. For those who don’t know, find a White Castle and try a lil piece of food heaven…trust me.
I still had a lot of time to kill being homeless and had a little under $12 left that I obviously didn’t need whatsoever. I decided to give it back little by little to the homeless throughout the city I came across later that night. Many people didn’t want to talk, but were very gracious towards the money I gave them. I would leave them by simply saying “Jesus loves you, God bless”. It may not seem like much, but it is amazing what the power of Jesus’ name with an act of kindness can do to someone’s life. I’m sure I was tripping some people out being a homeless person giving money to homeless people. I gave a dollar bill to one homeless man and as I started walking away I hear him say “Did a homeless man just give me…WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD?!” It made me chuckle, because it made me smile, even more knowing someone else got to smile tonight.
It started to get in the late hours of the night and I knew I was getting very tired after walking all over the city for an entire day. I went to a park next to the Ohio River and found a “L” shaped concrete wall with a recycling bin connecting to it. I knew that was going to be my bed for the night because when I laid down no one could see me except through a little gap. It seemed like the safest place possible to nap for a little bit and I really stress the little bit part. I struggled to sleep because I became paranoid someone was going to see me and hurt me. If someone asked me how I slept that night I’ll give you a similar answer that Will Ferrell gave in the movie Elf. “I slept great! I got a full 40 minutes and I even found enough time to build that rocking horse”. The only problem was I only slept for 26 minutes and I did not build a rocking horse. I was paranoid and cold from not moving for a period of time so I decided to go for a walk across the multiple bridges from Ohio into Kentucky and back. It helped kill time and the Cincinnati skyline was beautiful to look at during the night time.
It was getting very late (or early depending how you look at it) and all of the bars had let out in downtown so the city became quiet and honestly really quite scary. I only had a dollar left to give out and I met this amazing woman. She had told me how she became homeless and it wasn’t her fault. She told me stories about how people will prank her by offering money from their car window, wait till she reaches inside to grab the money and then floor the gas. The car would take off and knock her down to the street, leaving her to hit the pavement and have others laugh at her. I asked her if she knew Jesus and she said “Honey I don’t just know Him, I love Him. If it wasn’t for Him I’d be dead in a ditch somewhere. I praise Him everyday and thank Him everyday I get to wake up and see the sunrise”. The woman and I talked for a little bit longer and I asked if I could pray with her. Before I could start praying for her, she prayed for me. It was in that moment I felt God’s presence in both of our lives. I felt her pain and sorrows she had gone through, but more importantly I felt her love for others and for God. I said goodbye to her knowing I most likely won’t see her again on this earth, but I will see her again on the other side. As I walked away I knew my day was done and I chose to go home. I’m blessed to be able to type that last sentence because I have a brand new perspective on having a roof over my head. The fact I get to crawl in a bed or a couch every night, wrap myself in a blanket and lay my head on a pillow is an absolute blessing. I won’t lie, I struggled to be homeless because I sometimes take for granted not being cold in the winter time. I feel we all get too comfortable with the fact we don’t have to worry about when our next meal is coming or when the next clean glass of water is coming that I’ll be able to drink. We grow comfortable with the fact that if we get lonely we can text or call our best friends or family. I got lonely really quick and I was challenged mentally when living on the streets for one day, alone. We spend so much time around other people that we sometimes begin to not even know ourselves. We know so much about other people in our lives that we forget to keep on working, building and growing into who God has created us to be. Sometimes we all get in these ruts and it’s important to not be satisfied with the status quo. I challenge all of you (including myself) to get uncomfortable in life. I challenge you to do things that you aren’t good at. I challenge you to get to know others. I challenge you to get to know God. I challenge YOU to be the best YOU that you can be.
Being homeless for a day was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but was one of the most important things I’ve ever done. I grew appreciation for the simplest things in life. I loved coffee before I did this, I love it even more when it keeps my hands warm in the winter. I grew appreciation for clean bathrooms and beds, friends and family, and never worrying for when the next meal will come. I learned to never underestimate the KINDNESS of other human beings. There were thousands of people who passed by me on Saturday and at first I was discouraged because only about ten people gave me money/food. I took a step back and realized how amazing those ten human beings were. They didn’t have to give me anything but they did in the kindness of their own hearts. Those ten people gave me HOPE for a generation of human beings knowing that there were still those willing to step out of their comfort zone. There are still human beings who show GENEROSITY towards other human beings and it’s not about “me”. There are still those who treat other human beings as human beings. Being homeless doesn’t mean they should be treated differently. For the first 24 years of my life I was told to never make eye contact with a homeless person and I look back and think to myself, “Why did I ever listen to that growing up?” They are just like you and I. They are children of God. Being homeless helped me see homeless people not as homeless, but rather as brothers and sisters in Christ. You aren’t homeless when we all live under the shelter of God. I’m blessed for the opportunity God gave me to be homeless for myself, but more importantly so His word can be heard and His seeds can be planted.
A few weeks ago I finished The World Race training camp and began traveling up and down the East Coast visiting amazing friends. It was great being able to spend time with those who have supported me throughout this life changing journey, but I felt God really tugging on my shirt about something. I didn’t know what it was at first and so I kept on praying for clarity on what it was He was trying to get my attention about. I felt as if He wanted to teach me something and I had no clue what He wanted to teach me, or maybe I just wasn’t listening. Finally, last week I decided to listen and heard God place on my heart those who are homeless. More specifically, I heard God say you need to go be homeless for a day. At first I thought “God how in the world would you like for me to be homeless?” The answer was easy, I just didn’t like the answer. I could very clearly hear God say, “Alex you have a perfect opportunity for me to help you grow and more importantly spread my Word in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio”. I didn’t know exactly who God was going to send my way or what He wanted me to learn, but I knew He wanted me to do this.
The parameters were simple: I could not use any of my own money for food, only money that I received from begging, I could not have my cell phone with me at anytime during the day, and I have to find a place to sleep on the streets. Also, I knew that I couldn’t go into downtown Cincinnati dressed how I normally dress, so I found an old pair of jeans that had holes in them and ripped them up a little more. In addition, I also wore a hoodie & beanie that had definitely seen better days to make myself look as if I was homeless. It also helped I hadn’t shaved some of my face in well over a month. The temperatures that day was 54 as the high and 35 as the low so I also wore 3 long sleeve shirts to stay warm during the night.
I began begging on one of the streets next to Fountain Square where a lot of people go during the holiday season because of the festive scenery and giant ice rink next to one of Cincinnati’s most historic landmarks. I figured I would have the best chance to receive money in this location. So I sat down on the concrete ground about half a block from Fountain Square and began to beg. I had created a cardboard sign for people to read as they walked on by that read, “I’m a child of God just like you…I’m homeless and anything helps God Bless, Jeremiah 31:2”. I felt the need to have my sign reflect God because I didn’t care about the money. Sure it would’ve been nice to get a warm coffee or sandwich, but regardless if people agreed with my sign or not, they saw God’s word. There were hundreds if not thousands of people who walked by me as I pretended to be homeless which means for those who chose to read my sign meant that hundreds of people were exposed to God’s word and I just think that’s one amazing thing! There is a very good chance that a decent amount of people may have gone home and looked up Jeremiah 31:2 which meant God spoke to those human being whether they were believers or not. Praise Jesus!!!
So I began to beg for hours on end at Fountain Square and no one was giving me money. I payed attention to those who passed me, most didn’t even care to look at me. I saw every walk of life strut on by. Some people were business men & women in there suits talking on there iPhones not caring I existed. Some were old, some were young. Some people middle aged folks who were going about their business in life, but in the end does it really matter? We are all children of God because when He created us in our mother’s womb He said, “This is perfect”. After begging for quite some time multiple people began to throw dollar bills in my cup including a man who gave me three dollars. Not only that, but he also cared to know who I was and even talked to me. He asked me how my day was and if I wanted to eat lunch with him. I accepted his invitation and he bought me a chicken sandwich at Wendy’s. The entire time we just talked about each other’s lives and I thought it was a perfect time to share the gospel. Turns out he didn’t believe in God, but believed we are all connected in some form or another. I asked if I could pray with him and he declined, but I believe that even though he didn’t let me pray for him, I was still able to plant a seed for God to grow in that man’s life by speaking to him about Jesus. God works in everyone’s lives differently and we all have different stories given to us by Christ. Sometimes it takes years or even a lifetime for us to accept Christ and I pray that God comes into his life and changes it forever.
The day went on and continuously hundreds of people walked by me never even looking me and every once and a while people would graciously donate one dollar bills. One woman in fact gave me a dollar bill, but once I realized Abraham Lincoln was on the dollar bill my heart jumped because I couldn’t believe the generosity of that woman. Another person gave me a zip-lock bag that contained Pringles, granola bar, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes with a note that said “Have a nice day :)”. I slowly but surely realized my discouragement of seeing thousands of people walk by me without giving me anything began to go away. I started to have so much happiness because of the less than ten people who gave to me all day. I couldn’t stay in one spot all the time because the police began to keep an eye on me. One police officer told me that I couldn’t sit down and beg in certain areas so I was kicked out of my spot. That was a little discouraging knowing I couldn’t be in a spot silently begging for money because I was homeless.
The sun had fully set and the temperatures were dropping into the 30’s quickly. I threw on my second hoodie preparing for the cold night ahead. I counted all the money I received throughout the day I was able to collect $17.68 without having to pay for a meal because I was given two meals by others. I decided to spend some of the money on warm coffee for both my migraine headache I had and for my hands that were freezing. I also spent some money a granola bar and three White Castle little burgers. For those who know what White Castle is you know those little burgers are the greatest thing of all time and they are crazy cheap. For those who don’t know, find a White Castle and try a lil piece of food heaven…trust me.
I still had a lot of time to kill being homeless and had a little under $12 left that I obviously didn’t need whatsoever. I decided to give it back little by little to the homeless throughout the city I came across later that night. Many people didn’t want to talk, but were very gracious towards the money I gave them. I would leave them by simply saying “Jesus loves you, God bless”. It may not seem like much, but it is amazing what the power of Jesus’ name with an act of kindness can do to someone’s life. I’m sure I was tripping some people out being a homeless person giving money to homeless people. I gave a dollar bill to one homeless man and as I started walking away I hear him say “Did a homeless man just give me…WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD?!” It made me chuckle, because it made me smile, even more knowing someone else got to smile tonight.
It started to get in the late hours of the night and I knew I was getting very tired after walking all over the city for an entire day. I went to a park next to the Ohio River and found a “L” shaped concrete wall with a recycling bin connecting to it. I knew that was going to be my bed for the night because when I laid down no one could see me except through a little gap. It seemed like the safest place possible to nap for a little bit and I really stress the little bit part. I struggled to sleep because I became paranoid someone was going to see me and hurt me. If someone asked me how I slept that night I’ll give you a similar answer that Will Ferrell gave in the movie Elf. “I slept great! I got a full 40 minutes and I even found enough time to build that rocking horse”. The only problem was I only slept for 26 minutes and I did not build a rocking horse. I was paranoid and cold from not moving for a period of time so I decided to go for a walk across the multiple bridges from Ohio into Kentucky and back. It helped kill time and the Cincinnati skyline was beautiful to look at during the night time.
It was getting very late (or early depending how you look at it) and all of the bars had let out in downtown so the city became quiet and honestly really quite scary. I only had a dollar left to give out and I met this amazing woman. She had told me how she became homeless and it wasn’t her fault. She told me stories about how people will prank her by offering money from their car window, wait till she reaches inside to grab the money and then floor the gas. The car would take off and knock her down to the street, leaving her to hit the pavement and have others laugh at her. I asked her if she knew Jesus and she said “Honey I don’t just know Him, I love Him. If it wasn’t for Him I’d be dead in a ditch somewhere. I praise Him everyday and thank Him everyday I get to wake up and see the sunrise”. The woman and I talked for a little bit longer and I asked if I could pray with her. Before I could start praying for her, she prayed for me. It was in that moment I felt God’s presence in both of our lives. I felt her pain and sorrows she had gone through, but more importantly I felt her love for others and for God. I said goodbye to her knowing I most likely won’t see her again on this earth, but I will see her again on the other side. As I walked away I knew my day was done and I chose to go home. I’m blessed to be able to type that last sentence because I have a brand new perspective on having a roof over my head. The fact I get to crawl in a bed or a couch every night, wrap myself in a blanket and lay my head on a pillow is an absolute blessing. I won’t lie, I struggled to be homeless because I sometimes take for granted not being cold in the winter time. I feel we all get too comfortable with the fact we don’t have to worry about when our next meal is coming or when the next clean glass of water is coming that I’ll be able to drink. We grow comfortable with the fact that if we get lonely we can text or call our best friends or family. I got lonely really quick and I was challenged mentally when living on the streets for one day, alone. We spend so much time around other people that we sometimes begin to not even know ourselves. We know so much about other people in our lives that we forget to keep on working, building and growing into who God has created us to be. Sometimes we all get in these ruts and it’s important to not be satisfied with the status quo. I challenge all of you (including myself) to get uncomfortable in life. I challenge you to do things that you aren’t good at. I challenge you to get to know others. I challenge you to get to know God. I challenge YOU to be the best YOU that you can be.
Being homeless for a day was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but was one of the most important things I’ve ever done. I grew appreciation for the simplest things in life. I loved coffee before I did this, I love it even more when it keeps my hands warm in the winter. I grew appreciation for clean bathrooms and beds, friends and family, and never worrying for when the next meal will come. I learned to never underestimate the KINDNESS of other human beings. There were thousands of people who passed by me on Saturday and at first I was discouraged because only about ten people gave me money/food. I took a step back and realized how amazing those ten human beings were. They didn’t have to give me anything but they did in the kindness of their own hearts. Those ten people gave me HOPE for a generation of human beings knowing that there were still those willing to step out of their comfort zone. There are still human beings who show GENEROSITY towards other human beings and it’s not about “me”. There are still those who treat other human beings as human beings. Being homeless doesn’t mean they should be treated differently. For the first 24 years of my life I was told to never make eye contact with a homeless person and I look back and think to myself, “Why did I ever listen to that growing up?” They are just like you and I. They are children of God. Being homeless helped me see homeless people not as homeless, but rather as brothers and sisters in Christ. You aren’t homeless when we all live under the shelter of God. I’m blessed for the opportunity God gave me to be homeless for myself, but more importantly so His word can be heard and His seeds can be planted.
