Holiday Volunteers

The book "Same Kind of Different as Me" continues to impact me in a powerful way. First, a little backstory: my friend Dean, a member of our community group, said he picked up a great book a while back and was reading it on a flight to the West Coast. Near the end he struck up a conversation with someone sitting next to him. He felt impressed that God was telling him to give the book away to his seatmate - which he did. We don't know the rest of the story, but I have no doubt the book will make an impact on that person's life.

Why? It's because Denver, a homeless man of the streets of Fort Worth, has words like this:

Lemme tell you what homeless people think about folks that help homeless people: When you homeless, you wonder why certain volunteers do what they do. But these folks was different. One reason was they didn't come just on holidays. Most people don't want the homeless close to em-think they're dirty, or got some kinda disease, or maybe they think that kind of troubled life gon' rub off on em. They come at Christmas and Easter and Thanksgivin and give you a little turkey and lukewarm gravy. Then they go home and gather round their own table and forget about you till the next time come around where they start feelin a little guilty 'cause they got so much to be thankful for.

Like I said, I'd been watching Mr. and Mrs. Tuesday. They wadn't like the holiday volunteers. They'd come ever week and talk to the homeless folks, and not seem to be afraid of em. Talked to em like they was intelligent. I started to think Mr. and Mrs. Tuesday might be trying to do some real good 'stead a just making themselves feel better 'bout being rich.

"Same Kind of Different of Me" is a powerful story of the most unlikely friendship developed over time between a tough street bum named Denver and Ron and Debbie Hall. It's a story you can believe in, because it resonates in the love God has for his children - all of them, no matter what their address or stage in life.

It's a lesson we all can learn - Thanks, Denver, for letting God speak through you.