Our congregation is sponsoring a week of Share the Warmth, a homeless shelter through the winter housed at the Salvation Army. We are responsible to provide two volunteers, a man and a woman, for an evening shift and an overnight shift over seven days. The shelter is available to people from 7 PM to 8 AM the following morning. During the day folks must go elsewhere, but at night at least they have a warm place to sleep. We have other volunteers who provide snacks and do laundry.
We’ve covered two nights at the shelter so far. 18 men and 4 women have slept there. They hang out together in a common area until the lights go out and the doors are locked at 10 PM. I am the “key holder” for the week, a title that sounds like something from Harry Potter, but it only means I’m the one to open the shelter in the evening and lock the door again later. I’ve been spending extra time there with my volunteers, both evening and overnight shifts, and helping them get settled in for their duties. This is a new thing for my church, and I’m proud of the way people have stepped up to help. There isn’t that much for the volunteers to do, actually; it’s more a ministry of presence. But it’s new for a lot of us. My overnight shift comes Thursday night, so I’ll probably have more to say about it later.
I arrived this morning just before 8 AM to check on my volunteers, I noticed a woman leaving the shelter in heels. She had her work shoes on. It reminded me the homeless are probably not who we expect them to be.
I think homeless people are a diverse group.
The word “homeless” seems misleadingly reductive.
I’ve usually found that if our eyes and ears and hearts are open, volunteers are the ones that are ministered to. Kind of like you and the high heels. It stands to reason. If God is with the hurting and lost ones, it shouldn’t be too surprising the he rubs off on them a little. And they rub off on us. We’ve got it backwards. We think it’s the other way around.
We good church folk who are so darn compassionate to donate our time have a lot to learn about how the Kingdom works and where it is among us.
Don’t you just love lent? Really brings out the cynicism…
I think SRB is right, and the word is out. I have found that one of the main reasons people volunteer for these programs is the chance to be with Jesus by way of the homeless.
I’ve been hanging out a bit each evening at the shelter, and tonight will be when I do my overnight shift. As I’ve watched my volunteers, they don’t have the attitude of “isn’t it so good of me to help these unfortunate people.” My folks are glad to help, and they’re willing to learn from the people who need to sleep in the shelter. There is a mutual benefit. The people who use the shelter need the volunteers there for safety and security. The good flows in both directions.
I’ve never seen God more in the poor than in anyone else. But I see God’s love present as the homeless and the volunteers help one another and learn from one another each night.
That’s really great to hear about the vols there. That’s the ideal. No way to tell from where the blessings flow. Who is blessing who…
Peace be with you during your shift tonight.
I guess I have seen God in the poor more. Maybe I’m trying to see it that way…hard to say. But I think it may be because there is vulnerability there. And less clutter to drown God out. Again, maybe I’m just being sentimental.
SRB,
I believe many people encounter God among the poor. I think we can say it is real, even while others encounter God in other places, like the wilderness, for example. Perhaps sentiment is a grace.