Holidays are Upon Us!

It's the most wonderful time of the year... and yet.. I'm thinking about the "street people".  I pastored a church, and ministered to homeless people for 7 years in downtown Oklahoma City... and when the temps get below 40'... I know they are suffering... literally living on the streets of OKC!  I chose to not call them homeless , but rather, street people, because... they always have a home in the Lord.  It just makes sense.  Thus, to me, they are street people.  First person I saw when I began that ministry was a man named John Todd.  He was literally living in a cardboard refrigerator box, in an alley.. in Oklahoma City.  My heart hurt and I cried to myself, as I spoke with him, and told him about salvation with Jesus Christ.  I sang to him, a song that the Lord had put on my heart that entire day.  I sang to him in that dark alley, a song called I Won't Turn Back.  There were no bright lights, no microphone, no fancy silk suit and my heels, no TBN stage there for me... just a cold, lonely man in a dark alley, needing the Lord more than ever.  He accepted the Lord right there in that alley, in 20' sleeting weather.  His eyes just lit up after that prayer and he became a faithful "member" of that street ministry.  In working with local missions, we were able to get temporary housing for so many street people, and some of them eventually became a part of the work force again.  A ministry like that makes you  truly realize what IS important in life...  the major difference between wants and needs.  They had simple needs.. a comb, toothbrush, clothing, food...but most of all, to know Jesus.  Reminds me of when Jesus went to the multitudes and spread the gospel.  When we first started that ministry, I prayed for souls to be saved and lives to be changed.  I was so naive.  I had no idea how much it would change me.  Fishers of men... people need the Lord.