every. single. day.

all those good people

scurrying back and forth

carrying lists

lists of groceries for the food they’ll prepare

for their many,

lists of presents for the friends and family afar,

lists of gifts for the children,

lists of things to do during the hustle and bustle

of the holidays

 

and on that list

for many

“serve a meal

to those in need”

 

oh bless them

it’s a beautiful thing,

it really is,

to want to help those in need–

many come and ask,

do you know?

how?  where?  when?

 

and I do

but I don’t think they want to hear

if you only have one day, one hour a year

please just don’t

 

don’t serve a meal and never come back

don’t hand out groceries and go home

and forget

don’t stand out in the cold,

pouring hot chocolate into cups

that are sipped slowly,

for the warmth on the hands

is more needed than the drink,

don’t hand them a cup

and then go home and climb into bed and never

think of them again

 

for these folks who are just

a check mark

on a list

they live this life everyday

they sleep in the cold and the heat

they fight frostbite and mosquito bites

they can’t get a job to buy a car

because they don’t have a car,

they can’t go to job interviews

because they don’t have the clothes to wear,

a never-ending cycle of loss and need

 

folks need your help and love and offers

of kindness

not just on the fourth Thursday or the

twenty-fifth

or on the day of rest

but every. single. day.

 

and they need what they need–

food, shelter, clothes, homes–

but what they need most of all

is someone

someone

you

me

us

to sit with them

walk with them

listen to them

every. single. day

 

offer not what you think they need

one day or two

to fill you with holiday spirit…..

instead ask their story

and listen

and the pain and sadness in the brokenness

of the story

and the laughter and the joy

is not so different from yours and mine

it only lacks a caring listener

not just once

but every. single.  day.

 

go

be

that

one

for

another

 

 

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“I Think Jesus Loves a Good Hootenanny”

“Why I Don’t Volunteer with Homeless People”