Tuesday evening is always a special time for me as I go out with other volunteers to distribute sack dinners to our friends and neighbors. It's good to see the friendly faces I see every week, like Darryl's, and to shake the familiar hand that greets me and makes me feel welcomed, like Ernie's. There's always the pleasure of meeting someone new, like Mama Dee, and the relief of seeing that one friend you have been praying for because you haven't seen him for a while and finding out that he is okay, like Kenny.
However, last week something happened that taught me that maybe once in a while at least, I should go the extra mile. As we gathered around an outdoor table at Pollo Loco on Alondra and Woodruff, passing out some of the dinners, Mama Dee suggested we pray first for the food. We held hands as she prayed, and two other people, including Kenny, spoke up excitedly asking for their turn to pray. One prayed the Lord's prayer and we followed; the other just spoke from his heart until he was interrupted. It was a special moment for me as I realized that I and they are just the same, sinners saved by grace. But as I drove away I thought, if Jesus had been with us, he probably would have stayed behind and would have eaten with them--the faceless, nameless homeless strangers which we see everyday on the streets of our city. So perhaps on another day, when I'm not so busy going around doing good deeds, I will sit down and eat and partake together just as Jesus did; just as I believe he might have done on this occassion.
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