Caidon Glover: Thank you for always loving like Jesus did. Thank you for having His eyes and letting His love shine through you. I pray that The Lord the blesses you and Jeremy abundantly with a community of friends and people to do life with. Thank you for allowing me to do life with you across the world! I love you sweet friend!
In March of 2012, I was walking down a street in France with my group. My friend Caidon and I lingered in the back talking softly about what The Lord was teaching us.
We walked past two gypsies sitting outside of a cathedral. One was holding a little girl. My heart was breaking. I didn’t want to give them money because I had heard too many stories of where it goes to alcohol and drugs.
Caidon looked at me and we immediately knew what to do. Our team had just purchased a bag of oranges. That was it. We had food!! We ran to catch up with our group and grabbed a few oranges and ran back to them and were left with smiles and knowing we did what Jesus did.
On that walk back, I told Caidon, “I never want my heart to be hardened to the poor, to the street kids, or to the beggars. I never want to have a calloused heart.”
I’m on month 9 of my 11 month journey. I’ve had an amazing opportunity to see the world. I’ve seen so much brokenness but even more beauty within it.
Yesterday, I was on a prayer walk with Sarah and Jessica. We were about to be finished when we came up on a man who was using crutches.
He was struggling and couldn’t lift up his feet to even walk properly. As I turned my head to look at him, I heard those four words.
Jess said, “Let’s pray for him.”
We helped him get to a place where he could rest and I gave him my water. As the sun was beating down, we asked the Holy Spirit to join us. Right there on the the side of a busy road in Manzini, Swaziland.
I started out praying, then followed by Sarah and Jess. As we finished he told us thank you and asked us our names. I immediately knew something was different about it. He had to know Jesus, right? You could see it in his eyes and smile. I just wasn’t sure though.
He said the words that I struggle with. “Can you help me get to the hospital?” He was asking for money.
My heart screamed no. I didn’t want him to use it for alcohol or drugs. I spoke up quickly and said “No sir, we do not. We can help you get a bus.”
Then it happened. My teammate, Jessica had faith. She believed in him more than I did. She said, “Enoch here is some cash. Let us help you get a bus to take you to the hospital.”
He climbed into a van and we watched him drive off.
On our walk back, I wrestled with my thoughts. I told God it had happened.
My heart was calloused.
How did I get here? I had promised myself I wouldn’t let that happen.
The three of us went to the AIM base and I begged God to help me. I put my headphones in and sat in His presence. I didn’t say a word, I just listened.
Matthew 25:40 ran through my mind.
“‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
It was on repeat. I couldn’t think of anything else but that verse.
We were about to leave when I saw him. Enoch. Here at the AIM base. What? Is this possible? How? He was having a conversation with some of the workers and he recognized us as we walked up.he greeted us with a big smile. He had made his way to the hospital and back here to rest for awhile.
That day, Jess had courage and faith in an area I was lacking.
God gently said, “Just continue to believe in me, it’s okay. I am holding your heart as I am breaking away the hard parts.”
As I come in contact with people like Enoch, I pray that whatever I give them. If it’s water, food, or even money that it becomes Jesus. Not me or my words but what I do. I pray that God will meet them where they are and they will make the right choice.
Tom Davis writes in his book Red Letters, ” but there is something else going on when we reach out to help the helpless–something unexpected. Something we often miss. Something that speaks not only to the process of becoming Christlike–to our spiritual formation–but also to the very truth of where we find Jesus.
I choose to look for Jesus every single moment. I choose to not let my heart be calloused. I choose to love like He did.
