Why Do We Keep Doing This?

(from a forwarded e-mail)

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter.
 She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again..
 There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.
  
 She read the letter:
 Dear Ruth:
 I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
 Love Always,

 Jesus
  
 Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me?
 
 I'm nobody special.. I don't have anything to offer.'
 With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
 'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner..'

 She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents.
 Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.'
 She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
 A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday.
 Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

'Hey lady, can you help us, lady?'
 Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway.
 A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
'Look lady, I ain't got a job, you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda
 hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it.'
 Ruth looked at them both.
 They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work
if they really wanted to.

'Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.'
 'Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.'

The man put his arm around the woman's
 shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
 As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
 'Sir, wait!'
 The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.
 'Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.'
 She handed the man her grocery bag.
 'Thank you lady. Thank you very much!'
 'Yes, thank you!' It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering
 'You know, I've got another coat at home.

 Here, why don't you take this one.'
 Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.
 Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
 'Thank you lady!
 Thank you very much!'
 Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. 

The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.
 She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
 'That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.'

Dear Ruth:
 It was so good to see you again.
 Thank you for the lovely meal.
 And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
 Love Always,

Jesus

 The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

"And the King will answer them, 'Truely, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:40

*end of article*

(Me) This is why we do it, why we befriend the homeless, taking our chances on getting disappointed, let down, discouraged.
Helping the homeless is not always pretty, fun, or even rewarding at times.  We do get discouraged, fed up and let down many times.  But during those times the Lord leads me to a verse like this. . .

"We urge you, brothers admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be PATIENT with them all."

First Thessalonians 5:14

After being let down once again by a person, a situation, I had to do some talkin' with the Lord.  He immediately brought the above story to my attention and this verse.  Then it was impressed on my heart once again, that I am just a seed sower.  I sow seeds of love, I don't do the growing, I don't do the changing in people, I do not do the convicting.    I may and I may not always get to see the results of the seed planted and that is ok.  I also do what I do in the homeless community because of my love for the Lord.  I do for Him, I give for Him, I love because of Him, and I will be patient for Him.  After all, He is so patient with me, how could I not be this for others that He loves.

I would like to clarify here, that the homeless have been nothing but kind, sweet, and polite to me.

But there are times when some will say they will meet you for church or for an interview, and then do not show up .  They have lived for so long surviving and just taking care of themselves, that a kind of selfishness sets in that I don't think they even realize.  Many have been caught up in alcoholism too that if they have that first drink of the day, all memory and reasoning can go out the window.

I am not called to condemn or pass judgements.  I am called to "Go tell", and to love and to be an example of that love.  Results are left up to someone else.  God has led me to this certain population for a reason, and I didn't hear Him say I could leave when it wasn't fun, when it wasn't pretty, when things didn't go my way.

Yes, I have a love for these hard to sometimes love people, and I have an even greater love for my Lord.
Have I ever been unlovable?  Probably.  Have I ever let Him down?  I'm sure I have.  Does He still love me?  Yes!

If he could hang on that cross for us imperfect human beings, then the least I can do is share His love with others.

And then there are those who you touch, hug, pray with, and the tears flow from a grateful heart from them who are SO appreciative of the care and love you shown them.

And then out of many, there is that one, that one who sees the light, Jesus, and invites Him into his heart.

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live for Him.  This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
First John 4:9-11

"Love is patient, love is kind. . .it is not self seeking. . .it keeps no records of wrongs. . .love always protects. . .always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."
First Corinthians 13:4

"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord, your God with all your heart and  with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Matthew 22:37-38

This is why we keep doing it.