Do They See Me?

By Tim Sells

Our  ministry  to  the  homeless   is  based  in  part  on  the  fundamental  God-given  principle  of  human  dignity.  Dignity  is  one  of  God’s  gifts  to  humanity  and  is  fundamental  to  what  it  means  to  be  human – every human life has worth. With this principle firmly grasped, our   ministry   to   the  homeless   continues   to   provide   physical,   spiritual,  and  emotional  nourishment  to  the  men  and  women  God  places in our path.

There  are  many  reasons  why  the  homeless  find  themselves  in  various situations of homelessness; many have suffered loss of jobs and homes, thus being thrusted into living in shelters, hotels, or the streets. Others  face  homelessness  due  to  estrangement  from  family.  Some  are  homeless  due  to  addiction  to  drugs  and  alcohol,  while  a  few  have  become addicted to live on the streets.

While  the  reasons  are  many  for  homelessness,  one  question  resonates  among  the  homeless:  “Do  They  See  Me?”  This  question  is  about  personhood – do they see me as a whole person? Am I accepted as truly human? This question burns in the heart and mind of every homeless person with whom I interact because of homelessness being viewed as undignified by society and even by those who are homeless themselves. Here at Impact our message to our homeless is “We See You,” we value your personhood and uphold your God-given dignity.

I have been blessed to have a front row seat in the homeless ministry and  have  been  taught  valuable  life  lessons  over  the  past  4  years.  I  have  been  humbled  on  many  occasions  by  the  wisdom  and  godly  insights  by  many;  I  have  been  challenged  to  look  at  each  individual  rather  than  view  the  whole  by  a  set  of  preconceived  ideas.  In  2018  I  decided to challenge the group to several months of in-depth study on the nature of God, nature of man, sin and consequences, and free will. The depth of knowledge and insight from the group was amazing; and we  now  have  a  new-found  respect  and  love  for  each  other.  Now  they  know that I see them, and we affirm together that God Sees them as well.

Come  receive  a  blessing  from  our  homeless  Monday  through  Thursday,  you will not regret it.

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