Loving those who are forgotten

There was a season in my life that a couple of years ago I teamed up with a dear friend of mine and a brother in Christ, went preaching on the street corners and subways of Chicago. What an experience! Many many times were we mocked at and looked at funny and made fun of but we wanted desperatly to get the word out to let people know Jesus is real and He is calling people everywhere to repent and come to Him. Not a very soothing message but true. So many times were we hit up by beggars to give them money but when we offered to take them to a mission house where they can have a meal and a warm bed and most of all hear the gospel, they didn't want to go along with that. They just wanted money.

So, it was easy to feel a little hard and overwhelmed by people who just want a quick fix or for someone wanting you to feel sorry for them. However, once in a while we came a cross someone who was genuine in their needs and truly wanted help. What a glorious thing! It's times like that that make it all worth it!

There was this one time we headed down underground into the subway just like we always did but this time we passed by this beggar who was sitting against the wall in one of the dirty concrete hallways leading to one of the subway trains. It was cold and the man had his begging cup out and he was violently shaking uncontrollably. I mean he was shaking so bad that if he had change in his cup it would have spilled out! My friend Phill and I walked right passed him. I remember thinking "aw he just wants our money! He is just faking!" So, we finally get to a place we can preach at. About an hour or so goes by and three people stuck around to listen to us. Trains go by and they are not getting on any of them. Finally Phill stops and says lets all pray figuring them to be believers. After which two of them left but one stayed and asked if we could go with him. He said I passed by this beggar downstairs that really needs prayer. He said I passed him by and the Holy Spirit will not leave me alone about praying for this poor man. As he went on to describe him, we knew who he was talking about.

Phill says for me to go with him because we didn't want to loose our spot in the subway tunnel. In Chicago, once you find a place to play tricks for money, play music, or to preach, you stick to that place or you loose it. So, I went with this brother to pray for this beggar. I thought to myself this is a waste of time. Besides, God isn't going to do anything anyway. I'm just telling you like it was. I was negative and not having much faith and not being very loving, but I went anyway.

And there he was still shaking so much! He was'nt even able to look at us because his head was shaking all over the place! And it was just like out of the book of Acts when Peter and John heals the crippled beggar. We said to him, "we don't have any money to give you but can we pray for you?" In that shaking voice, he says "sure!"

So, with him still sitting on the ground, we layed hands on him and prayed and a few seconds into the prayer, he stops shaking and his arms falls limp at his side so still. I thought he passed out or something. Then right a way he starts weeping! I opened my eyes and he just starts thanking us and crying so much! I said get up! He got up and started running up and down the hallway running up to people grabbing them by the arms and saying "Jesus has healed me! He has saved me! All of you have seen me here shaking and now I'm not anymore! He has healed me of shaking like this for many many years!" (I forget how long he said but it was like 14 years or so).

And then I said to him "go home and tell your family what He has done and live with them" so, he did! Then one man comes up to me and asks if I would pray for him. He said he has been struggling with homosexuality for a long time and he wants to be free from it, and so I did.

That man who struggled with homosexuality and the beggar wasn't the only ones that God blessed that day. He blessed me much more by building my faith! I truly believe He let me be apart of that and used me and that other brother to show me He wants to heal the sick and I need to have faith in that!

After telling my friend Phill what had happened, he told me that in the time that he has been coming down to the subway for many years to preach he has seen that beggar many many times shaking so bad every time all the time. Phill has been back to that spot many times since that day and he says he never sees that beggar anymore!

What would have happened if I chose to still be critical of that beggar? If I chose to not love the unloveable who obviously had a need to be met? I think about that day often so I won't forget God's love and power.