We were about an hour away from Lake Charles, Louisiana where we were going to serve alongside Samaritan’s Purse in the wake of destruction caused by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Our last stop before we got to our destination was in Lafayette, Louisiana for dinner and gas fill up, but the only thing on my mind was my bladder. As I rushed to the Men’s room, I passed by two homeless women sitting outside the gas station smoking cigarettes. The thing about God is that he works in spaces of uncomfortablilty but the last thing I wanted to do was talk to them. As a child, for my own safety, I was taught never to give homeless people money because they will just use it for drugs or they are just there to kidnap me. But in my own fear, The Holy Spirit convicted me to stop and acknowledge them, because that is what all humans want, just to be known. With no idea of what to even say, I started to talk to the two women whose names were Lisa and Michelle. I asked them for their story and they replied that because of Covid and the hurricanes, they had nowhere to live and that they have been living on the streets. They continued to tell me about their friend Mike who was inside the gas station and their other friend who was killed by a bus the week before. I stood there to listen to their story and know to them for who God created them to be. After an emotional few minutes, the rest of my team came around the corner and we had a group conversation with Michelle and Lisa about who God was and that they are loved beyond comparison by him. Before we left the gas station, our team bought them some food and prayed that they will experience life alongside the God of the universe and to know that they are so so loved and known by Him. As we left, they wept tears because Lisa and Michelle have never been loved by another group of people like us before. The sad truth is that many homeless people are not even acknowledged because it is uncomfortable for the majority of us to even look them in the eyes. They are created in the image of God as well and deserve to be treated as our brother and sister. It not only affected them with hope and love, but it showed me how God moves through people and conviction because we are meant to love one another. God works in spaces that are uncomfortable. He is present within you and around you and when we share the Good News that we are not defined by our failures and good works, but our relationship with the Father, He is even more evident than ever. As we left, our Squad Mentor bought them a hotel room for a few nights so that they could get off their feet and continued to pray them as we drove away. The God that healed the sick, cast out demons, and rose from the dead is the same God lives inside Me, Lisa, Michelle, and everyone.
As always, if you have any questions about what I am doing during my time on the World Race, send a text at 6102569495 or follow brentworldrace on Instagram.
