Wow, though we’ve only been in Atlanta for five days I have honestly never been so challenged. We went to multiple sites throughout the trip but one that really stuck with me was the last day when we went to Mercy Church. The Mercy Church is all about feeding those without houses, and actually having relationships with them other than just giving them food and praying for them. I had the awesome opportunity to hear from a man named Demetrius as he told a little about his story and how one night when he and his friend were sleeping at the bus stop some random people came and stole his only blanket from him and took off running, he ran after them but couldn’t catch them. He began questioning the situation wondering why they did that, knowing he wasn’t doing anything but sleeping. He had every right to hate those people, yet all he did was continue to love them. He also brought up the topic of people like “us” -people who just go up to him, tell him that God’s good, pray for him and then leave. As he was telling the group these thoughts it really made me realize that that was what I was going to do: tell them God’s good, pray for them and honestly just leave. He continued to say that he was just tired of it, he already knew God was good, now all he really wanted was a friend. Someone who he could talk to that he could share a mutual relationship with. As he was saying that it really made me realize that Demetrius and the rest in the room are people too. He made me realize that even though they’re in this current situation they’re people just like you and me. Attending the service really changed my perspective on “the homeless.” It first made me realize that they’re people who just want friends like we do, and it also made me realize how much joy and life and love they had in them even being in their current situation. It was just so encouraging seeing that they were going to shine no matter what was thrown in their paths. Holly mentioned how saying “the homeless” was just so demeaning and how they’re just people without houses, and that’s how I will forever look at “the homeless.” I won’t see them as people who need food and constant prayer, but as friends who are trying to pick themselves back up.
- Briana Royster
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