A Dream

It was the coldest night of the year. Standing outside the hotel, I hugged a teenage girl as she thanked me for trying to help. She and her mother were left with no option but to stay the night with the mother's former boyfriend, a man who had abused them both in the past. They walked away with a few groceries in hand, which I had bought them. Both beautiful and broken, the women knew what was ahead of them.

My new boss was the owner of the hotel. He would allow one or two homeless families to stay the night for one night, but he was a short-tempered man, and his success had hardened his heart against them. We had already brought in two families for the night--my request for him to hear from the girl and her mother had only provoked his temper. He sent me away without allowing me to explain.

The day before, I had been made aware of an older man, a veteran, who was living in someone's camper...without the owner's permission. Somehow he had moved in undetected, but when he was discovered, the owner called the hotel to see if we would let him stay at least one night there.

Speaking with the older man, I explained ways that we could help him. He just shook his head and said he would be out of the camper that night. Where he ended up, I don't know.

As I sit in my office on this coldest night of the year, this is the question that crosses my mind: How do we draw the line for who gets help and who doesn't? How do we turn our head and go back to our heated home, watch a little TV, eat a home-cooked meal, knowing that there is someone out shivering in the cold?

It is very likely that this person made some bad decisions that lead to this life. It's easy to look down, to condemn, so shrug our shoulders in indifference. But we are called to do much more.

"For I was hungry and you have me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me...Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:35, 36, & 40

We can't help everyone, obviously. But we must make an effort to try to help the ones who cross our paths. I don't know who the people are in this dream, but I believe God allowed me to have it for a reason. May we open our eyes this new year to the people around us. May we never walk in indifference and superiority. May they always see Him in us.

--Sara Grace