Yesterday, when I came home, I saw a letter in our stack of mail from the Sheriff's office. The letter was from a friend of the street person I know. In painstakingly good handwriting, the friend asked for a Bible for himself.
I was blown away. I probably read the letter 100 times last night for a few reasons:
1) I have no idea how he got my address or last name (I didn't put either on the letter I sent to my homeless friend. He has only ever called me by my first name).
2) There really is truth -- "Ask and you shall receive." There was no way I could refuse to send this man a Bible.
3) I often feel like what I do for others isn't enough or isn't good enough. I often feel like the actions I take are insignificant. I often feel like I shouldn't bother when I see someone who looks like they need help because I internalize the action too much. "What difference could I possibly make?"
The lesson for me today is that God works wonders through us all.
I had been really down and sad lately because I felt like I am afraid to evangelize, that I'm afraid to talk about Jesus openly outside of my parish and church community. Yet, this total stranger who asked me to help him to receive the Word of God has really touched me. I am evangelizing, though it is through a different medium than I had originally imagined.
Jesus says that whoever gives a cup of cold water to someone in need does it for him. The action doesn't need to be large, it just needs to be done in love.
Please pray for my friend and his friend in prison.
