Don't Wait For the Big Fish

*NOTE:  If someone thinks they recognize themselves in this post, please know that I love you and I understand that if you have not gotten to know "the least of these" as I have, if you have not befriended the ones I have, I can understand where you are coming from, but my heart's desire is to show that these people are ones Christ loves and died on the cross for just as He did for you and me.  They just may either do not know or understand this yet, or their timing to this realization is different than ours because their lives and circumstances are different from ours. The purpose of my homeless stories is to change the general public's perception of them, looking past the obvious and seeing them through the eyes of Jesus.  Jesus has allowed me this priveledge and I have seen in their eyes what many miss because they do not get close enough.  These people have blessed me and my eyes have opened wider and my heart more open and I feel I have an even more understanding of what unconditional love really is.
That is a gift I want to share *

The longer I am in the Blanket Ministry, the more negative comments I hear about this population of homeless from the general public and ones carrying their bibles.  One such conversation came up about how the homeless are now getting free cell phones with free minutes. The group seemed horrified and talking about how their tax dollars were paying for this.  They couldn’t believe these people would get free phones, almost with a “how dare they” tone and with the thoughts, “We are paying for those, while they sit there doing nothing.”  I couldn't help but bite the inside of my mouth to keep the tears from falling.

All I could think of was how these people who live with all of their needs met in abundance, seem to at times take lightly the plight of those less fortunate.  These individuals are good people, yet sometimes it seems they, like many others, have isolated themselves from a part of life that seems unfair or distant from what they are used to.  Are they REALLY being put out by the homeless being given a free phone, a small thing that helps them in a big way, some of these people not getting three meals a day, have no roof over their heads, no driveway let alone a car, no vacations, just trying to survive on the streets where people shun them? These phones allow them to make and receive calls about jobs, it allows them to talk to family they otherwise would not get to talk to.  It allows them to call places so they don’t have to walk so much in their thread bare shoes. 

The people with the Bibles would like to say, “They need to get up and get a job and pay for their own phone.”  I am always reminded of the quote, “Don’t judge until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”  Have the bible carrying people been addicted to something, do they have mental illness, are they sick with something and have medical bills they can’t pay or have they lost a job and lost everything because of it? Have they been suicidal, have they been beaten up by ones who should have cared for them, do they have self –esteem down near the 0 level, are they depressed to the point of not knowing how to move on?

I look at the bibles in their hands and I think of how it tells us to be like Christ.  What is Christ like?  Gaze into His face and you will see love, kindness, and compassion. Remember the story of Jonah?  God had compassion on the people of Nineveh and wanted Jonah to help them.  But Jonah ran.  Jonah did not have compassion on the people.  And Jonah was swallowed by a great fish.  I smiled as I thought how the negative people would react if God sent a big fish to swallow them until they became more like God, learning what He wanted them to learn. 

I become upset with these comments because I thought how self-rightous they sound, and they should know better. And then I was out in my yard one day working and pondering about this when the Lord reminded me that at one time I had a self-righteous attitude.  I didn't know I did at the time, but looking back I can see now that when my boys were young, when they were so good and obedient and happy and respectful, that when my husband and I saw other children being disrespectful and downright disobedient, being mean to their parents and other adults, with the parents acting so exasperated, my husband would always say in my presence only, "Parenting is not rocket science.  Why don't they just do this or that?" (Father, forgive us!) Sometimes life can throw you a curve ball you don't see coming.  When our nearly perfect child, who we loved and adored turned 18, he became a prodigal.  Parenting apparently has some lessons we missed out on.  Or it could be that our son's independent self will kicked in and he decided to do his own thing.

My point is there is a lesson here in self-righteousness. I believe we all have been guilty of this sin at one time or another.  So I pray I always give grace in those mouth-biting, teary eyed situations where I hear the self-righteous conversations because I know they do not realize they are being that way, just like my husband and I did not know we were being that way all those years ago.    


I was in a way, swallowed by the big fish. It took having a heart wrenching situation to make me see how I my thoughts had been towards these other parents and it gave me empathy for them. I pray that it doesn't take something big and stinky for the ones who make negative remarks about the homeless to see the error of their ways.  I pray the message of this book will help them to see what God sees and they in turn will have more empathy and understanding and compassion towards ones who live on the streets.  May we all learn the lessons God has for us. And I pray we learn without sitting in the belly of the big fish.  I pray that the hands that hold their bibles in one hand will not use their other to point fingers at groups of people, talking in disgusting tones with accusations.  I pray we use what God has given us to come up with solutions to help others, and at the very least, pray for them, and if we come into their presence to hold out our hands to them and offer them a genuine, sincere smile. . .and maybe even a sandwich.

Jesus told us to love our neighbors.  And then He was asked, “Who is our neighbor”.  Don’t just look at the people who live next door to you.  You look to your neighbors in your community, whether they be atheists, convicts, homosexuals, homeless, tattooed filled bodies, guys with pants hanging down and hoodies on their bodies. . .and yes, even the former convicted sex offender.  Everyone needs that loving smile,  everyone needs a Christ like touch, a kind word, to feel the unconditional love of Christ. They need to hear the Good News. And who better to offer this than one who has received that love in their heart.

Our Christ like love towards one of the “least of these” or any others just might be the very thing God is waiting for to use on someone to change them. . .and I’m not just talking about our “neighbor”.

Colossians 3:12-17

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the work of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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