I went for another hot and excrutiatingly painful run/walk today. Why do I do that to myself, again?! Oh yeah....'because it's good for me' (say with a whiny, mocking tone).
I always listen to my ipod which just so happens to contain songs from my teenage years. I may be dating myself, but, oh well, I'm not one to hide my age. The fact that I have a 20 year old daughter dates me, right?!
Anyway, the song Something to Believe In by Poison came on.
t's a song I heard countless times in my rock and roll teen years but never really listened to the lyrics. That's kind of the way I rolled! Haha!
Even now, I have to say that I'm not really sure where the songwriter was going with the meaning of this song, but a portion of the song had quite an effect on me today. It's hard to describe how it made me feel....sort of guilty, convicted, challenged....
See if you remember these words:
I drive by the homeless sleepin on a cold dark street
Like bodies in an open grave
Underneath the broken old neon sign
That used to read Jesus Saves
A mile away live the rich folk
And I see how they're living it up
While the poor they eat from hand to mouth
The rich is drinkin from a golden cup
And it just makes me wonder
Why so many lose, so few win
While I am by no means rich (my husband is a teacher and I'm a stay-at-home mom with 6 kids!) I still have so much more than I need while there are people living with very little--no home, little food. And, how do I look to them? Am I someone who values my stuff more than the lives of those less fortunate? How much would I give up to help? Those are (somewhat scary) questions that I need to ponder. What are your thoughts?
2 comments:
I've been thinking about that a lot lately too. Have you read the book "Same Kind of Different as Me"? Or the book "What Difference do it Make"? In it, the former homeless man, Denver says:
Since I been visitin a lotta churches, I hear people talkin 'bout how, after readin our story, they felt "led" to help the homeless, to come alongside the down-and-out. But when it comes to helpin people that ain't got much, God didn't leave no room for feelin led.
Jesus said God gon' separate us based on what we did for folks that is hungry and thirsty, fellas that is prisoners in jail and folks that ain't got no clothes and no place to live. What you gon' do when you get to heaven and you ain't done none a' that? Stand in front a' God and tell Him, "I didn't feel led"?
You know what He gon' say? He gon' say, "You didn't need to feel led 'cause I had done wrote it down in the Instruction Book."
Let's be real. A lotta folks on the list that Jesus calls "the least of these" ain't the ones you gon' find down at the country club. No, most a' them's the folks you gon' find in the jail or in the street. But we got to go to all the people - the rich, the poor, the lowdown, and the dirty - and show 'em all we got the same thing for ever one of 'em: the love a' the Lord.
I think part a' this problem is that too many folks ain't ready to face up to the fact that to love the unlovable, they got to face people that they fear. They is afraid to get out of their regular livin space 'cause they afraid it might be suicide, am I right? 'Cause you wouldn't be scared a' nobody if you didn't feel like they was gon' do you wrong.
Most people want to be circled by safety, not by the unexpected. The unexpected can take you out. But the unexpected can also take you over and change your life. Put a heart in your body where a stone used to be.
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That pretty much sums up the fact that I'm NOT doing enough. Or anything, really. It was very convicting for me to read that. Former homeless man or Bret Michaels - God can use anyone to speak to us :)
By the way, we'd love to see you guys when you come to town!! We could have you all over for some Ted's!! :)
Just stumbled upon your blog and loved this post! God has really been challenging us in this area - going out of our way to help those in need, giving up things we don't need so that others can have the basic necessities of life. It's been quite an interesting journey the past year or so as God has led us WAY out of our comfort zone!
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