Hands
He was looking at his hands.
A torn piece of cardboard announced his position in life.
It said, “I am homeless and need help. God bless you”.
His coat was dirty and ragged, and all the warmth that he had.
A backpack lay on the ground beside him, possibly containing everything he owned.
He was leaning against the signpost, the sign said stop.
But the preacher, who preaches love and mercy, would not.
Hands
He was looking at his hands.
A torn piece of cardboard announced his want in life.
It said, “Homeless, I need help, God bless you”.
His hands were dirty and bare and empty.
I wonder, do you suppose he was thinking I wish I had work for these hands to do?
Maybe he was wishing for water to wash with or food to eat.
He was leaning against the signpost, the sign said stop.
But the preacher, who was busy doing church work, would not.
Hands
He was looking at his hands.
A torn piece of cardboard announced his prayer in life.
It said, “Homeless, need help, may God bless you.
He never looked up as the people drove by.
What was his greatest need? A bite of food, a drink of water, or just a phone call home?
Maybe God had placed him there for the preacher to help.
He was leaning against the signpost, the sign said stop.
But the preacher, who preaches about God’s Greatest commandment, would not.
Hands
I am looking at my hands.
A torn piece of cardboard convicts my soul.
It told me that the man was homeless and needed help. God forgive me.
I gripped the steering wheel and tried not to see him.
I rationalized that I was busy and that it was too dangerous; maybe he didn’t really need help.
God said you, are My hands, but I pretended not to hear.
He was leaning against a signpost, the sign said Stop.
But the preacher, who preached about the need to obey, did not.
May God have mercy on all who speak about love, but do not.
Douglas Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
From the Bible
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
I John 3:16-23 NKJV
this is a real challenge especially around Athens some even have dogs most have good clothes and one said the same story twice (to me)