The Homeless Couple

Last fall, I volunteered with a group that fed and clothed the homeless in downtown Akron on Friday nights. This is a story about some of the people that I met there. Not really a funny story like some of the other ones, but still a cool story.


October 24, 2009

Last Tuesday, I worked an early morning shift, and I was off by 11:00 am. As I was driving home, I was thinking about some of the people that I met on Friday night. I actually met a lot of people that night, but I got to talk to several of them for longer periods of time. There were a man and a woman– husband and wife– who were homeless and told me a little bit about their life on the streets and some of the difficulties they have faced. There was another man who came back to Akron because his mother was dying, and lost his job as a result, and now had no place to go. While I was thinking about them today, I really felt that God was telling me that he wanted me to drive through downtown Akron on the way home and find the husband and wife that I had talked to. I can’t exactly explain how I knew that God wanted me to do that, but I really felt strongly that I needed to go home that way instead. So went a different route on the way home and headed downtown.

As I was driving, I started this inner dialogue with myself, asking myself, “This is crazy! What am I doing? How am I supposed to find two people in the entire city of Akron? And what do I do if I find them?” As soon as I asked myself that, I felt again that God told me that I should buy them lunch and talk with them.

So I started arguing about that. Where am I going to get them lunch? I don’t even know these people. Am I supposed to drive them somewhere? Do I trust these people– almost strangers– to get in my car and go somewhere? What should I talk to them about if we do eat lunch? What are they going to think if I show up offering to buy them lunch?

But I continued on, heading downtown. When I got there, I told God that if He wanted this to happen, he would have to lead me to them. I had no idea how to find these people. So I drove around downtown Akron, looking around for them. I drove through some of the streets, looking out my windows for them. When I didn’t find them, I concluded that it was just a weird idea that I had, and agreed with my earlier arguments that there would be no way I could find them in the middle of the day in the city of Akron. I decided that since I had a library book that was due tomorrow, I would run in to the Akron library really quick, renew it, and then head home.

As I walked into the library and turned the corner, this couple was actually walking out of the library at the same time! Can you believe that? What are the odds of that? I saw them, and said to them, “I can’t believe you guys are here! I was just thinking about you!” I think my jaw about hit the floor. I was genuinely shocked to actually see them. They remembered me from Friday night and we stood and talked for a couple of minutes. They told me that they were just there killing time and were about to go outside to get some fresh air. I joined them outside where we talked for a couple of minutes more.

Inside, I’m thinking to myself,
“Am I really supposed to get them lunch?
Where are we supposed to go?
I don’t know if I want to drive them somewhere in my car, but I don’t think there’s any place really close to eat at”

I decided just to ask them if they had eaten lunch yet (they hadn’t). I nervously asked them if there was anyplace within walking distance that we could go, and they told me that there was a café attached to the library, so we went down there. The thought occurred to me that it was really interesting that I met them right at a location that had a place to eat. God must have had a hand in that.

I spent two hours with them that afternoon, eating and listening to their stories. They are an amazing couple of people. To the rest of the world, they have nothing– no home, not much money, etc. But they did nothing but talk about what Jesus has done for them, and how God has protected them and blessed them in so many ways. It was such an encouragement to me to hear their stories and their perspective on things. We talked about how God can use them, even on the streets, to shine His light in such a dark place. We each shared some passages from the Bible that have been encouraging to each of us. I told them I would pray for them, and they offered to pray for me too.

I struggle sometimes with how to interact with homeless people. It’s easy to say that I don’t think that I am better than them, but I think that deep down, many of us still feel that way to some extent– that we are going to come “fix” them and make them like us. My experience today showed me that I truly can be blessed and encouraged by their stories and experiences. As we were leaving, they thanked me. Not for lunch, but they specifically thanked me for listening to them. They told me that no one really ever listens to them. What they needed was not necessarily another handout, but someone to reassure them that they are, in fact, real people with real stories and real struggles. They really are children of God, created in His image. And it turns out that I think God wanted me to be there to have them encourage me, not necessarily the other way around!

What is interesting too, is that I was leaving the library, the other gentleman that I mentioned at the beginning of this story was also in the library and I had a chance to talk with him for a couple of minutes. I really felt that I was exactly where God wanted me to be at that time.

These people helped to put real faces and stories behind some of what we do. It has helped open my eyes to what God is doing among some of the poor people in Akron. I only hope and pray that I can have faith like they do, despite whatever I may be facing in life.

Brian!