“I tell you this: Do not worry about your life. Do not
worry about what you are going to eat and drink. Do not worry about what you
are going to wear. Is not life more important than food? Is not the body more
important than clothes? Look at the birds in the sky. They do not plant seeds.
They do not gather grain. They do not put grain into a building to keep. Yet
your Father in heaven feeds them! Are you not more important than the birds? Which
of you can make himself a little taller by worrying? Why should you worry about clothes? Think how
the flowers grow. They do not work or make cloth. But I tell you that Solomon
in all his greatness was not dressed as well as one of these flowers. God
clothes the grass of the field. It lives today and is burned in the stove
tomorrow. How much more will He give you clothes? You have so little faith! Do
not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’
or, ‘What will we wear?’
Matthew 6:25-31 New Life Version
A few weeks ago our local
high school approached our church asking for donations of backpacks and
supplies for homeless students in our school district. The small group of us
who first heard this was taken aback. Homeless kids in our town? How was that
possible? Our town is not a big city where homeless men drink from brown paper
bags under train trestles or abused young mothers herd their toddlers into
women’s shelters. I live in “small town America”. There are no homeless people
here.
Yet, looking back, though I
don’t know of any homeless adults in my life, I could name a half dozen high
school kids who at one time would have been classified as homeless. For
whatever reason, they were no longer welcomed in their own homes, the adults
who were responsible for them no longer wanted them or these kids just couldn’t
remain in the household.
It’s tough enough being a
teen-ager, but to not know which friend’s house you are going to crash at
tonight or if you can sneak back into your parent’s house after they are in
bed. I can’t imagine.
Please pray for these kids –
I bet that you have them in your community as well. Get involved, donate to your homeless shelter, work at your local food pantry. Be aware of who is walking the streets of your town. If you get the chance, remind them that they have a Father who would never turn them out and one day a home in
heaven where they can find rest.
2 comments:
Hi Chris, we have had students who were basically homeless. Each situation different. It makes you sad to see this students stressed over basic security issues way before they should. Sometimes it is there own stubborn heart that kicks them to the curb but not always. I can't imagine the stress of a lifestyle like that. :( Thank you for this post! You big hearted girl!
Yes, Sue, it is so sad.
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