3.1.14
"Stay where you are. Find your
own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where
you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces
and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have
the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted,
unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society—completely forgotten, completely
left alone.”
My last post included that quote. It hit me right in the face the last few
days. I traveled to San Diego, CA to a
conference for anesthesia faculty and was able to bring my family along. While they had a blast visiting with some
local friends, I was struggling with an overwhelming preoccupation with "the
unwanted"... The weather was
wonderful, the waterfront was amazing, downtown was lively and beautiful, but
the unavoidable number of homeless men and women was truly heart breaking.
Homeless people have always been in all
the big cities I visit, but this time I was really affected by it. I was in a posh hotel room and across the
street was a homeless man with a wheel chair… he was sleeping in the
bushes. And there were homeless in the
park, and in the alleys, and on the sidewalks and they were kindly being
ignored by everyone passing by. I
realized that God didn’t want it this way and was urging me to do something for
the "least of these."
I kept thinking about Jesus saying to
Peter, "Feed my sheep… tend my sheep"…so that is what I did. I went to the market and bought peanut butter
and bread. I eat it all the time so I
figured it was a reasonable idea. I
loaded it into my backpack and walked block after block through streets,
sidewalks, and parks, talking with men and women and feeding them and "loving
others." Does it make a difference?
There are so many and you can't help them so why bother? I think it mattered for those few who, for a
moment, had kind interaction with a stranger who offered a sandwich and extended
God's blessings and love.
I shared with Kim what I had done that day while they were out visiting the zoo.
The next evening, my youngest daughter prayed for our meal in a way most Americans do not pray:
"Thank you God that we have food to eat and a place to sleep. Please be with those homeless people, keep
them safe and let them learn about you."
How will they know if they
never hear? Why would they follow if
there is no one to model a different life?
It wasn’t about the sandwich. It
was the message. You never know who will
be listening.
Find the sick,
the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are…
Love,
Mason, Kim, Grace (Maddie), & Emmie McDowell
Psalm 139: 9-10
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
