A Hug

It’s a little after 11pm and I am sitting on a blown up mattress in a room full of strangers.  Well, not all are strangers, one of the ladies that is opposite the room of me is a friend that I met 2 weeks ago in the same room.   Tonight I am with homeless women that have no other place to go.  What an honor and privilege that I have to be here.

A new program has started in Murfreesboro called The Way of Hope.  It give homeless women and their children a place to stay every night during the cold winter months.  Our church along with other churches in our area have agreed to open their doors and offer a safe, warm place to stay.  When I was approached about this opportunity and asked if I would be willing to help out, there was not much hesitation on my part of if I wanted to help, but when, where and I needed details!  I remember going home and talking with my husband about this program and I knew that it was something that God was calling me too.

Two weeks ago the program kicked off and the first two night only one lady showed up.  My heart broke hearing the news that two other were on the fence about staying and I knew that we had bad weather moving in during the evening hours.  They chose not to come.  The lady that did come shared her story with us and I was drawn to her in amazement of her story.  I asked her if she would be back in two weeks, and she felt that she would be moving on.  I was saddened, and when we parted I hug her bye and told her I would be praying for her.

Tonight when I showed up at the shelter where we would be picking up those who wanted to stay at the church,   I seen her in the parking lot!  I was so excited and ran to her and hugged her.  A couple hours later I told her to plop down on my mattress so we could chat.  We talked about things that were going on in her life the past two weeks.  I told her I was thrilled that she was still here.  She told me that it was people like me that made her feel welcome and when I hugged her neck she said it was things like that made her want to stay.  I told her I had been praying for her and she said she knew.

Something so insignificant as a hug.  A hug that I take for granted.

Tonight the group grew from one to six.  One part of me is so happy that the word is out and more women feel safe enough to stay with us.  Another part of me is sad that is the group has grown.  That is six more homeless women. 

Pray for this new mission, pray that more women that are homeless would feel safe enough to come out of the cold.  Pray for their situations, their stories.  Everyone has a past and we are I was so quick to judge them.  I am so guilty of that.  I have judged so many people that are on the street, with signs, wrapped up in blankets under an overpass or pushing a grocery cart down the street.  Maybe if I were not so quick to judge and took a moment to listen to their story I would have understood a little more.

I have more I would love to share about some of these women, and in time, I will.  Our room is quite, women are sleeping and it’s time I joined them!  Goodnight!