Prayer for Eight
Henry, Ronald, Sheila, Andrew, Larry, Doug, Donny, Paige.
Our campus focuses on equipping students to go out to the nations and proclaim the word of God and demonstrate the love the Lord shows to us each day through service.
With a myriad of international options to partake in from CBU’s globally minded mobilization projects, I often lose sight of the desperate need of proclamation in our own country, state and community. As I leave Target or Starbucks just down the street from our campus bubble, undoubtedly I can spot a man or woman with a cardboard sign begging for money and food.
I have been questioning myself recently, “If I have been given my daily bread, what is stopping me from sharing?” Each of us have experienced alienation for some reason or another, with no sight of help on the way, and I thought that if I can give something of mine to someone who desperately needs it, I know the Holy Spirit will guide me to the one wanting.
Monday afternoon, my boyfriend Chris and I decided we would go to Brisco’s Cafe, our favorite on-campus eatery. We swiped our meal cards twice each to gather four, full-sized lunches stocked with sandwiches, water bottles, chips and fruit. From there we went to one of the busiest parts of Riverside to give them to men and women asking for food or money on the streets. We prayed silently as we drove down Magnolia Avenue towards the Tyler Galleria for God to provide us with his Spirit to present the right words to the people who needed them the most. Within 45 minutes we found eight people in a distance of one block. We parked and gently approached each of the people, inquiring if they would like some food. As we realized we only had 4 lunches, we decided to assemble 4 more bags of food from a restaurant down the street to offer to anyone else we saw.
First was Henry, an ex-demolition contractor who suffered extreme loss that admittedly affected his ability to think clearly. He had been left to the streets to fend for himself. Ronald, Sheila and Andrew followed him. The three are from Orange and find solace in each others’ friendships. Then there was Larry, a preacher’s son who did not agree with his father’s teachings and ultimately chose a homeless lifestyle. There was Doug, and then Donny came next. Donny was known for being “the old grouch,” a nickname coined by his Orange County folk. However, he turned out to be quite pleasant and welcoming to Chris one-on-one. Finally there was Paige, a girl in her early twenties whose quiet tears were not missed as she resumed her place in front of Target.
We asked each person if they had religious beliefs of any kind. Five out of the eight claimed Jesus Christ as their savior, and we prayed as a small group with them. Clasping hands together as we bowed our heads brought a stark realization to Chris and I that these men and women truly were children of God.
Eight people in one block. If each one of us from CBU — 6,000 students strong — would venture out to our local neighborhoods with two Brisco’s meals in our hands and a heart of compassion, 12,000 impoverished people would be fed and befriended in our area alone.
Several chapel speakers have recently said the Riverside area should be drastically transformed because of the students attending CBU. Are we contributing to the community around us? Or could 6,000 pairs of hands better extend beyond the four corners of CBU?
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