Stepping out of my comfort zone

As a Christian, I'm called to witness to others (Acts 1:8), but I've never felt comfortable doing so. I love talking about Jesus with other believers, but I don't feel comfortable witnessing to non-believers. Seems silly, doesn't it! But God knows all of that. ;-) And this morning He put me in a certain place at a certain time, in order to serve His purpose.

Oliver, Buttercup and I ended up in downtown Austin, at Waterloo Park. We stopped on the walkway underneath the bridge to feed the fish and throw rocks in the canal. I saw very few people there -- some state employees walking on their break, bicycle policemen patrolling the area, and a few homeless people. One of the homeless people, a woman, started walking back and forth near the kids and me. We made eye contact and smiled each time she passed, and I felt the need to say something to her, but kept quiet. Then, on her 3rd or 4th trip past us, she stopped and asked Oliver what he was doing. "Feeding the fish. What are you doing?" he said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few bread crumbs and offered them to Oliver to feed the fish. I could sense that she needed some help, but that she was either afraid or unwilling to ask for it. She and Oliver talked for a little bit (surprisingly, he did not ask her what her favorite shark is!!), then she seemed to feel more comfortable around us, and started opening up about her story. Her name is "Dee" and she ended up losing her home and family after making a lot of bad choices. I said I would pray for her, and Oliver said that he would like to pray for her, too. She smiled and said that it would make her feel good to know that a sweet little boy was praying for her. :-)

I still wasn't quite sure what to say, but I invited her to our church and gave her some change to make a phone call and some cash for a meal. She thanked me, and said that I was one of the few people who acknowledged her presence, much less let my children brighten her day with their smiles and questions. I hope that my actions spoke louder than any words I could say, and I pray that the next chain of events will direct "Dee" to getting a job and a place to live.

It's really sad to me that so many people choose to ignore instead of trying to help others in need. Sure, it would have been easier to look the other way, but we are all created by God, in His image, and we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. No one on this earth is better than any other person. Any one of us could end up in "Dee's" situation -- on the street, without a roof over our heads. Oliver and I will be praying for her, and I hope you will, too!