Lesson learned on a Saturday afternoon...

Yesterday I went with my church to a grillout for the homeless in downtown Austin. It was my first time doing something like that, and I didn't know what to expect. To be perfectly honest, most of the time I try to avoid homeless people. I don't know how to act around them or what to say. I see them and my heart breaks, but I still have no clue how to relate.

So I went open minded to the grillout, where the crew sent up multiple grills and tables. They cooked up cheeseburgers and served chips and water. I stood at one of the tables with another girl and we collected tickets that were handed out in line to keep the crowd under control. As we stood there collecting tickets, the line moved slowly since it took time for the burgers to cook. Most of the time, people would be standing in front of our table for a few minutes waiting for their food. It gave us a chance to start up conversation with them, or just smile and observe.

I observed a lot that day... there was a mixture of attitudes among the people we saw, some of them had a hard time containing their joy (which I hope came from the Lord and not something else) and some of them were hanging on by a thread. Some were completely falling apart, and some of them, if you didn't see their outward appearance, wouldn't think they were homeless. Regardless, I learned to treat all of them the same. I learned you have to treat all people the same, and I think homeless people in particular want someone to treat them like a normal person. To not tiptoe around them, to look them in the eye, and show them some real love and kindness.

I learned a lot that day...and I was humbled and thankful to be in their presence.