A
Ann-childoftheKing
Guest
Well, Friday evening it was cold here where I live. Really cold. When my husband came home from work we decided to go to a fast food restaurant to grab a bite for supper. We got there and got out of the car and I was fast approaching the door when I heard my husband talking to someone. I turned around and he was asking the lady that had just passed me that I had spoken a "hello" to.......she was a homeless lady. My husband asked her to join us to eat. She had just come out of the restaurant. I went to them and spoke to her for a while and finally we coaxed her back inside where it was warm.
We had seen this lady so many times in the past few months pushing a bicycle up and down the boulevards. He bicycle had those soft plastic bags that you get from shopping, all over it. It looked like bags of bags. And cups. She had paper cups. She never has been seen riding the bike. She just pushes it.
I had always wondered about her. She is small in frame. She isn't but about 5 ft 5, Im guessing. Maybe less. And I bet she doesnt weigh 100 lbs soaking wet. But her eyes. Her eyes though.....her eyes are like the pictures you see of Jesus with the glowing blue-green hue. She talked with an accent that doesn't resemble someone from the south. And she sounds intelligent and educated.
We went inside and I asked her what she wanted and she didn't know how to answer or either didn't really know. We stood there talking while waiting to order. She told me that she had married someone, for life, and that he left. And that he took all of her friends out of her life one by one. She seemed hurt and bitter about that. But she still smiled while talking to me. I told her about a few of my past issues and how Christ had seen me through them all and never left me. She is a believer. She said she knew God had a plan for her. She also was happy of the fact that her mother had dedicated her at a church when she was a baby. I don't think that will get you to heaven, but she seemed to be glad about that fact. I talked about God with her and told her of His love for her. I didn't push anything on her.
So, I asked her is she wanted a taco and a burrito. She beamed and said yes. But she also had half os a burrito crumbled up in a wrapper in her hand. And before she would order she insisted that she share what she had with my husband and myself. She oepned her half eaten burrito and pulled off two teeny tiny pieces of the tortilla and gave each of us one. We took it quickly and ate it. I don't know what she was thinking, but she was giving some of what little bit she had to us. It touched my heart.
We sat down and I found out through talking to her that she went to elementary school, at least, in Tennessee. She also said that while trying to survive she had had a spray bottle with water in it and used old newspapers, to clean store front windows with in Arizona. She had what I call a yankee accent! lol But it could have been an Arizona accent! She knew about the scenery and places in Arizona. So I figured she lived there last maybe.
I talked to her about our rescue dogs we have. I guess I did this, just to lighten the mod and just give her some conversation.
That lead to her telling us that she had tried to get a job at the local animal shelter , but she couldn't do it because she couldn't handle what they do to animals when they are over populated there. She siad that she actually had gotten a job at the mall across the road at the mall , cleaning the area of trash outside. But, the mall is closed there. They actually have torn most of it down to rebuild, and only a few stores are open there. So I'm not sure if that was true.
He coat was tattered and worn and she had on a sunvisor with her hair pulled up and in a mess. He face was red and probably chapped a bit by the cold wind or maybe even some sunburn. He eyes glowed. I told her she was a beautiful lady.
She had a bag on her side and I saw toothpase and a toothbrush in it. I'm guessing she frequents restrooms of all of the fast food places around, to clean up.
She barely ate the top off of her taco. She barely drank her drink.....a mixture of water with a splash of coke in it.
Im thinking she doesnt wanna eat too much so she doesnt have to go to the restrooms too much. So she isnt a bother to the businesses.
While we were sitting there, she looked at us both and said this...." Thank you both for staying together and making it work. You can see love in you both." and then she said....." I can see the love of Jesus and God in you"
I had tears falling down my cheeks.
I saw some of Gods love in her as well. I was being so blessed from this lady. My heart was heavy and I felt so full at the same time. Not from the food mind you. I couldnt even eat.
We walked her outside in the cold dark night and asked if she had a place to stay for the night. She said yes. She waited until we got in our car and left to get her bike and start pushing it away. We looked back at her when we headed home and she was watcing. She was probably scared that we may be some crazy people coming back to get her or something.
So the next night......yesterday....before dark we went down that boulevard again to get supper. And there she was. I watched as three people approached her. She talked to them and I think they may have given her money.
She had told us that she got by on the kindness of strangers. I don't think God wants us to do that. But sometimes people do that. Anyway.....when we finished eating, we walked out and over to where she was sitting on a curb. She got up and was about to leave when I called her name......the name she gave us was Nancy. She stopped and smiled. I went to her and hugged her as I did the night before. While we had been eating we decided that we were going to use our small income tax refund to get her a room for a few nights . So I asked her where she was staying for the night. She quickly asked me the same thing!! i said " at home". She started walking off and it kinda made me feel bad. She was kinda short with us this time.
When she walked off she looked back and said " you've got to do the best you can with what you have"
Wow...I needed to hear that......Now.....we don't have much at all. Acutually, from a financial standpoint, we are kinda poor. But we are rich in the Lord and in love.
I can't get all of this off of my mind or heart. I worry about her. What is she doing? Does someone miss her? Is someone looking for her? Is she sane? Does she have mental illness? What has this lady gone through ?? So may questions. She is smart. I pray she is safe. She had on different clothes. Old clothes but they looked cleaner. I know she didnt have her other clothes on that bike. I wonder where they are? I even go so far as to wonder if she is who and what she says she is. It is hard for me to trust too many people these days because I have been through the ringer more than I can count. I used to trust people so much but after being a woman who had to stay in a womans shelter for several months, years ago, I have seen how sneaky and dishonest people can be.
I dont know her true situation. I have looked online about homeless people and learned a lot. All I do know, is that this woman has my daily prayers. I worry about her as if she was my child!! I think maybe she was short with us the second time we saw her because that was two days in a row that she saw us. Maybe we scared her. She is after all, alone and surviving. And she is a small woman. No telling what she actually thought of us.
I want to help her. I want to know if someone islooking for her but I have no idea how to help her. I mean, I have ideas, but in talking with her, she isnt the type that will just take take take from someone. She also wants to give.
I know that because when we had her in the restaurant the first time, a guy came in and asked us for some spare change and we didnt have any. He walked out the door and she stood up and got about 30 cents our of her pocket and ran to give it to him.
I pray for her. When I see her again, i dont know what I will say or do. But my heart goes out to her. I was in a position once in my life where I had no one or nothing and had to start over. It was hard and I did things I never thought I was able or smart enough to do to make it through it. But this lady is tougher.
Meeting "Nancy" has touched my heart in a way that I can't explain.
I want to help.
I want to volunteer to help someone........anyone. I don't have money to give away.....I don't even have a home big enough for a guest but to sleep on my loveseat. I do have so much love to give.
God is love.....I want others to know Him and His amazing love~~~~
We had seen this lady so many times in the past few months pushing a bicycle up and down the boulevards. He bicycle had those soft plastic bags that you get from shopping, all over it. It looked like bags of bags. And cups. She had paper cups. She never has been seen riding the bike. She just pushes it.
I had always wondered about her. She is small in frame. She isn't but about 5 ft 5, Im guessing. Maybe less. And I bet she doesnt weigh 100 lbs soaking wet. But her eyes. Her eyes though.....her eyes are like the pictures you see of Jesus with the glowing blue-green hue. She talked with an accent that doesn't resemble someone from the south. And she sounds intelligent and educated.
We went inside and I asked her what she wanted and she didn't know how to answer or either didn't really know. We stood there talking while waiting to order. She told me that she had married someone, for life, and that he left. And that he took all of her friends out of her life one by one. She seemed hurt and bitter about that. But she still smiled while talking to me. I told her about a few of my past issues and how Christ had seen me through them all and never left me. She is a believer. She said she knew God had a plan for her. She also was happy of the fact that her mother had dedicated her at a church when she was a baby. I don't think that will get you to heaven, but she seemed to be glad about that fact. I talked about God with her and told her of His love for her. I didn't push anything on her.
So, I asked her is she wanted a taco and a burrito. She beamed and said yes. But she also had half os a burrito crumbled up in a wrapper in her hand. And before she would order she insisted that she share what she had with my husband and myself. She oepned her half eaten burrito and pulled off two teeny tiny pieces of the tortilla and gave each of us one. We took it quickly and ate it. I don't know what she was thinking, but she was giving some of what little bit she had to us. It touched my heart.
We sat down and I found out through talking to her that she went to elementary school, at least, in Tennessee. She also said that while trying to survive she had had a spray bottle with water in it and used old newspapers, to clean store front windows with in Arizona. She had what I call a yankee accent! lol But it could have been an Arizona accent! She knew about the scenery and places in Arizona. So I figured she lived there last maybe.
I talked to her about our rescue dogs we have. I guess I did this, just to lighten the mod and just give her some conversation.
That lead to her telling us that she had tried to get a job at the local animal shelter , but she couldn't do it because she couldn't handle what they do to animals when they are over populated there. She siad that she actually had gotten a job at the mall across the road at the mall , cleaning the area of trash outside. But, the mall is closed there. They actually have torn most of it down to rebuild, and only a few stores are open there. So I'm not sure if that was true.
He coat was tattered and worn and she had on a sunvisor with her hair pulled up and in a mess. He face was red and probably chapped a bit by the cold wind or maybe even some sunburn. He eyes glowed. I told her she was a beautiful lady.
She had a bag on her side and I saw toothpase and a toothbrush in it. I'm guessing she frequents restrooms of all of the fast food places around, to clean up.
She barely ate the top off of her taco. She barely drank her drink.....a mixture of water with a splash of coke in it.
Im thinking she doesnt wanna eat too much so she doesnt have to go to the restrooms too much. So she isnt a bother to the businesses.
While we were sitting there, she looked at us both and said this...." Thank you both for staying together and making it work. You can see love in you both." and then she said....." I can see the love of Jesus and God in you"
I had tears falling down my cheeks.
I saw some of Gods love in her as well. I was being so blessed from this lady. My heart was heavy and I felt so full at the same time. Not from the food mind you. I couldnt even eat.
We walked her outside in the cold dark night and asked if she had a place to stay for the night. She said yes. She waited until we got in our car and left to get her bike and start pushing it away. We looked back at her when we headed home and she was watcing. She was probably scared that we may be some crazy people coming back to get her or something.
So the next night......yesterday....before dark we went down that boulevard again to get supper. And there she was. I watched as three people approached her. She talked to them and I think they may have given her money.
She had told us that she got by on the kindness of strangers. I don't think God wants us to do that. But sometimes people do that. Anyway.....when we finished eating, we walked out and over to where she was sitting on a curb. She got up and was about to leave when I called her name......the name she gave us was Nancy. She stopped and smiled. I went to her and hugged her as I did the night before. While we had been eating we decided that we were going to use our small income tax refund to get her a room for a few nights . So I asked her where she was staying for the night. She quickly asked me the same thing!! i said " at home". She started walking off and it kinda made me feel bad. She was kinda short with us this time.
When she walked off she looked back and said " you've got to do the best you can with what you have"
Wow...I needed to hear that......Now.....we don't have much at all. Acutually, from a financial standpoint, we are kinda poor. But we are rich in the Lord and in love.
I can't get all of this off of my mind or heart. I worry about her. What is she doing? Does someone miss her? Is someone looking for her? Is she sane? Does she have mental illness? What has this lady gone through ?? So may questions. She is smart. I pray she is safe. She had on different clothes. Old clothes but they looked cleaner. I know she didnt have her other clothes on that bike. I wonder where they are? I even go so far as to wonder if she is who and what she says she is. It is hard for me to trust too many people these days because I have been through the ringer more than I can count. I used to trust people so much but after being a woman who had to stay in a womans shelter for several months, years ago, I have seen how sneaky and dishonest people can be.
I dont know her true situation. I have looked online about homeless people and learned a lot. All I do know, is that this woman has my daily prayers. I worry about her as if she was my child!! I think maybe she was short with us the second time we saw her because that was two days in a row that she saw us. Maybe we scared her. She is after all, alone and surviving. And she is a small woman. No telling what she actually thought of us.
I want to help her. I want to know if someone islooking for her but I have no idea how to help her. I mean, I have ideas, but in talking with her, she isnt the type that will just take take take from someone. She also wants to give.
I know that because when we had her in the restaurant the first time, a guy came in and asked us for some spare change and we didnt have any. He walked out the door and she stood up and got about 30 cents our of her pocket and ran to give it to him.
I pray for her. When I see her again, i dont know what I will say or do. But my heart goes out to her. I was in a position once in my life where I had no one or nothing and had to start over. It was hard and I did things I never thought I was able or smart enough to do to make it through it. But this lady is tougher.
Meeting "Nancy" has touched my heart in a way that I can't explain.
I want to help.
I want to volunteer to help someone........anyone. I don't have money to give away.....I don't even have a home big enough for a guest but to sleep on my loveseat. I do have so much love to give.
God is love.....I want others to know Him and His amazing love~~~~
