by Marian Alvarado
Good Morning!
I just wanted to share a story about a man I had never seen before who was walking through the doors of Timothy’s Ministry last week. Because we have always had the goal of keeping Timothy’s Ministry a safe place like a family, I stopped him and asked “Hi, what is your name? Did someone invite you here?” (I immediately felt bad as I said those words but, we have always had a simple rule: anyone is welcome to invite someone new, but it needs to be someone they know and would feel comfortable bringing into their own home. Many of our friends are constantly in situations and in places (even soup kitchens and shelters in Chicago) where they have had to be on guard and have told me how stressful it is in other places because of unsafe people. When they walk through our doors, I want them to be able to fully rest in knowing that they are safe here and experience the peace of God, and throughout all these years, we have been incredibly blessed that we have never had a serious incident at Timothy’s Ministry and I know that is God protecting us.
So as I was outside and this man whom I didn’t recognize was walking through the door, I did what I have done before. I stopped him and asked his name and whether someone there knew him.
He looked at me and quietly said, “I’m a human being too.”
I have to tell you that unlike never before, those words just hit my heart. I just knew from the sadness in his voice that he probably experienced this before and it was heartbreaking to hear his voice. I explained that of course he was welcome but that I only needed to know that someone knew him for safety reasons. Almost immediately, one of our friends spoke up: “I know him. He’s a good guy.”
But something happened in my heart when he said those words, “I’m a human being, too”. I believe God allowed me, for just a moment, to see this man the way He sees him. God knew his name before I ever asked it. God knew his whole story. God had seen every night he had slept outside, every hurt, every regret and every lonely moment, and God loved him.
I noticed that he walked with a limp, and he was living outside, pushing a shopping cart containing his belongings, and his clothes were worn. I asked him his name again and asked if he was okay (because he had a bad limp) and he kind of hung his head and said that when he was 16, he had made a bad decision and joined a gang. He said that he had been shot in the leg and in the head. I encouraged him that he had been just a kid, and that I was so sorry for all that he had gone through and told him that I believed God brought you here. He looked tired and shared he has chronic pain.
I asked one of the men who also struggles with homelessness but has been a part of Tim’s House for years to help him find whatever he needs and he took him downstairs to our clothing room and found clothes that fit him perfectly, along with a warm brand new green raincoat with a hood. ‘Bernard’ expressed more gratitude that I don’t have words to describe. I just felt this love toward him (which has to be God) and instead of having him go get his own food, we asked him to sit down and brought him a plate of food and a cup of coffee. His whole face lit up. He just kept quietly saying, ‘thank you so much”.
But those words, “I’m a human being too” have stayed with me and I don’t think I will ever forget those words going forward.
He is a man created in the image of God. A man God sees and knows and loves and I believe God brought him to us.
That is what I pray Timothy’s Ministry will always be: a place where people who may feel invisible to the rest of the world discover that they are not invisible to God. A place where they can feel safe enough to put their guard down and know they are among family. God sees them (and each of us). God knows their story and God loves them. This man was wonderful and he also opened up during our Bible Study/sharing time and told everyone around the table, “I really feel love here and feel God”.
Blessings,
Marian
“When you put on a luncheon or a banquet, don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” (Luke 14: 12-14)
