God Calls us to Unusual Places

God sure does call us to some unusual places...
Under bridges
Through the woods
Into tents
Through small holes in large metal fences covered by a blanket

...or to a metal chair put out by a person without a home as a gesture of their hospitality towards your impending visit.  They knew we would be arriving the next morning so Sayeed and Beverly made the "living room" on their concrete slab located on the skirts of the city of Orlando, look nice and they even found some metal collapsible chairs for us to sit on when we arrived at their homeless "camp."

"Come in! Come in" they said... excited they had gotten the chairs just the day before. We walked towards the slab of cement where there were about 5 filthy, old, rugged rugs spread across the concrete.  There was a small, wooden "end table" on the outer edge sitting next to one of the chairs with a red plastic flower sticking out of a make-shift "vase," two cots, some milk crates, and bundles of cloth and debris.  This out in the open living room was where we sat with them as they told us their story.  The flower had been put on the end table just for our visit.  To me and my friends, it was beautiful.  It was such a generous and loving hospitality out of.......nothing.

All they had was each other.  And their story echoes in my head still now, almost 12 hours later.  She, Beverly, got on a bus from VA just this past August to get out of an abusive situation, made it to Orlando, met Sayeed outside of a liquor store where he saw her with a "bad" man.  He pulled her aside and said "You're with a bad man."  She agreed and followed Sayeed back to his plot of land where he had his tent and living room slab of concrete.  Though homeless, at least she had a friend now to look out for her and someone she can trust.   But since he is permanently disabled in a wheelchair, she pushes him around, across the dirt, helping him get up and out of the wheelchair.

Sayeed was denied citizenship after 10 years of residing in this country; he was married, working, and had children.  But upon the denial of his citizenship, his wife left him.
I don't think he has completely lost hope because he was still able to smile, but I know if I were him, I'd be struggling to keep my faith, smile, and even get out of my tent in the morning.  To hear his story humbled me in a way I needed to be humbled right before I celebrate the birth of Christ - the king who dwelled with and healed those with the least.

As I cook food that I can buy with money I have made
As I turn the key that unlocks the door to my place of residence
As I sit on a couch in front of a TV
As I enjoy the lavish perks of electricity, warm water, furniture, and a roof...

I am reminded by those who have the least that I must go forth and stretch myself way beyond my comfort zone to get to the places Christ went... to get to the depths of where healing, food, clothing, and water is needed.  If I don't take the time to go to these places, to pray for those who have nothing, then I'm not sure I'll ever reach my full capacity as a Christian. For I am only fully human and only fully connected to Christ when I am serving another and helping them to not just "be," but to live fully into God's vision of grace, mercy, and justice.

Peace,

Annette