Hi there. I hope you're doing good. I'm humbled you've chosen to come here to read once more, and if this is your first time, welcome! Today's story really reminded me of the importance of knowing God is with you wherever you go and will never abandon you. It's a reminder to be courageous, and believe. It's a reminder to know that while the power of evil calls loudly, and hides under the glimmering veil of pleasure and amusement, God calls too. However, God calls us softly. He stands with open arms. There are no bells or whistles, and upon fist glance, it's easy to miss the call. But if you listen for just a second longer, you will hear one promises a moment of self-serving pleasure and a life time of emptiness and searching for the next moment of opportunity. While the other promises a life time of divine love, endless mercy, and fulfillment.
The other day, I saw a new face at Loaves and Fishes, and decided to go meet him. As I sat down with him I asked him his name. "My name B, Like A then the next letter B." B and I visited for a minute on the food, and the weather, and laughed as the pigeons stood around waiting to grab B's leftovers. As we continued to visit for a while, he looked at me and locked eye contact, "Can I ask you something," he said. I told him ask away, and with out skipping a beat he said, " Do you think God ever gives us more than we can handle." Whoa. That definitely caught me off guard. I thought to myself, how am I supposed to answer this?! As if he could read my mind he said, "Never mind, you don't have to answer, y'all church people always come down here telling' us it'll be ok and to pray but y'all just aint understand what we goin through." He started to stand up. I grabbed his hand and looked him in the eyes. "You're right. You are so right that we don't understand, but I want to. Will you stay and share your story with me." B looked at me, then looked around and with a sigh he sat down.
As soon as he sat down he said, "I want to tell you my story, but I just want to tell it, I don't want to talk about it, because I don't like to talk about it." He began slowly and softly, "I lived a good life before this, but then it happened and it made it hard for me to want to live like that. I lost my house in a fire." He stared off into the distance, as if he was far away, back in the moment it happened. Then he choked up, "I lost my family too." As soon as those words left his mouth, he looked at me, "Sometimes I wonder why God tries to give me more than I can handle. I've tried to do good, but living like I do now got me wondering if there's anything good left in life." I looked at him for several seconds before responding, "Ya know B, I think God gives the strongest people the hardest battles. I think he gives people battles they can't face on their own, but that doesn't mean they can't overcome them." He looked at me puzzled. "Have you ever heard the parable of the footprints in the sand?" I asked him. He shook his head no, and asked me to tell him. So I shared this with him. One time a man was walking along a beach, he got to the end, and looked back on his foot prints, all along the way there was two sets of prints. One was his and one was God's. However, the man became angry, he looked back on the hardest time in his life, and only saw one set of prints. He called out to God asking him where he was during that time, and wondering why God abandoned him in his hardest time. God answered him in a quiet voice, "My son, there is only one set of prints there, because in your hardest times, when you couldn't go on, I carried you. Those were my footprints."
"But why does he give us those battles that we can't face without him?" B asked. Again, I was at a loss for how to answer that. "I don't think we will ever know B, but my guess is so we will learn to trust him. If he didn't give us a reason to trust him, would we ever truly be able to trust?" B looked up and with the saddest eyes and said, "Do you think God loves someone like me? I've done so many bad things." My heart broke for him. "Sometime it just seem easier to do whatever than do good things." B said. "Oh B, you are so loved, and nothing you do can ever be too great for God. He will never stop loving you!" B and I stood up, we embraced in the tightest hug, and shared several more words and a prayer before I left.
My friends, we are all B's in life. How often do we look at life's challenges and wonder if it is more than we can handle. How often do we look at the footprints in the sand and angrily ask God why he abandoned us, before bothering to see those were his foot prints. How often do we chose the path of ease and pleasure, only to be left feeling empty in no time. Only to be left wondering, "Why did I do that?" "What's wrong with me." "Does God hate me?" "I've had such a bad past and done so much, no one can forgive me, especially not God." The list could go on and on. The fact of the matter is simple. God will not abandon you, and when the going gets tough, call to him, and he will carry you! You've never gone too far down the road to turn around.
God calls us softly. He stands with open arms. There is no bells or whistles, and upon fist glance, it's easy to miss the call. But if you listen for just a second longer, you will hear he promises a life time of divine love, endless mercy, and fulfillment.
Who would've thought it would take a homeless man struggling with his own faith to be a reminder of these things, but God works in mysterious ways. If we listen quietly, you will hear him calling, and along the way you may just meet some of the angels among us.
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