Having a major highway come right through the middle of Childress often brings with it homeless people looking for help. I always try to help them with a room for the night, a meal or just some conversation. But recently I was particularly blessed when a man passing through town asked for a place to stay for the night. His clothes were dirty, he hadn’t bathed in a while and his accent was a little hard to understand. He said, “Most the time I sleep outside, but it’s just been too cold lately.” I told him, “Sure, I bet we can find a room and some supper.”
On our way to get a room we visited about his family, where he was from and what he was doing out on the road. When we arrived at the hotel, I got him fixed up with a room and supper. It was then that he asked, “Would it be okay if we had a prayer?” That was not an uncommon request, and I told him I’d be more than happy to pray for him. That’s when he smiled and told me, “No, I didn’t mean you pray for me, I want to pray for you.” I don’t know if it showed on my face, but that was the last thing I expected. I told him I’d be honored if he prayed for me. Then he put his hand on me and prayed. His prayer was simple, effortless, and flowed from his heart. It’s funny how I went into this thinking I was going to help him, only to come out of it feeling like I was the one who was blessed.
He thanked me for the help and I thanked him for the prayer. As I drove off I couldn’t help thinking of Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Angel or not, I left there feeling very blessed by a homeless man.
I am a Christian husband and father, who moonlights as the minister for the church of Christ in Childress, Texas. My wife Lea and I have been married for 21 years. We are doing our best to raise our 4 boys, who are all growing up way too fast.
Wow. That is awesome.
Trey,
This is my new MOST FAVORITE POST OF ALL TIME!!!
WOW!
Monica
Great story, brother.
We never know, do we?
Oh my! I love this story!!!
That is one of the perks of being a minister. My husband has a very similar story, of a man who we brought home and fed supper, and then got him to a bus station. Once he was gone, actually he vanished – you just had this feeling that you had just been with an angel. There are hidden blessings in your work!!
I think we have all recieved blessings of similar nature. And what lessons we can learn if we will just open our eyes. Thnx
Trey, this was awesome. Thanks for sharing brother!
That verse, taught to me by my grandparents who were very hospitable to strangers (fed and bedded down an entire busload of Greyhound passengers in their home once), made me very hesitant NOT to help a stranger. I have had those experiences where I believed with all my heart God had placed an angel in my path just to see if I would practice what I had just preached.
Thanks for sharing a wonderful story!
God is good. If we keep our eyes and hearts open, it is AMAZING where God is working and wanting us to join Him.
I am touched. What a sweet man!
Excellent post Trey…I appreciate you sharing it with us. What a great reminder to share the heart of God with everyone we come in contact with everyday.
We often are so concerned with getting taken that we refrain even from good. The only way to guarantee you don’t get taken is to stop trying to do good.
I’m glad to hear of others who are willing to risk.
Trey
I appreciate your thoughts and letting others see them as well. It’s been a blessing to me.
Rob
Ow WOW how humbling. I love it when God gently reminds us that it is Him who is working, not us. Especially when we think we’re helping others, suddenly we’re blessed beyond belief and without expectation. Awesome.
I think it realates to when Jesus was talking about the christians who served poor people or the homeless or maybe a person in jail and Jesus saying that they served him and thay asked when did we ever serve you when you were in jail or when you were homeless or when you were poor and Jesus says when you serve people in need that was me Joe paden
Made me think of “Same Kind of Different As Me” because at that moment, there was no difference between you and this man; you were both sons of God, coming before Him with heartfelt pleas and thanksgiving. Now, that’s an awesome thing to think about!
As I was reading your post I quickly thought of Hebrews 13:2.
You left feeling blessed by a man who is homeless on this earth but then this world is not our home!
Goosebumps! Godbumps!
Your “Hebrews 13:2 encounter” reminds me to try to not go straight into my “suspicious / jaded” mode when I deal with folks in need. Powerful Bro!
wow! what an amazing story! I have had the opportunity to do some service projects for homeless people a few times and I always walk away feeling like I have gained a lesson or a blessing. Great story,and very humbling.
God bless you Trey. I was allowed to stay in a church overnight in Colorado when I didn’t have a hotel, then invited to stay in their apartment in the future if I was passing through. God bless the pastors and other ministers of God who do this for people!!!!!
That’s a great story, and a great experience, Trey!
Don’t mean to be the cynic, but you may find this story an interesting flipside to yours:
http://www.hopeforyourfamily.com/2008/11/07/i-dont-do-muffins/
(sorry, I don’t know how to make this an active hyperlink)