working on a love that is committed & courageous

It has been some time now since my last post. But I want to follow up on the friendship that began with the nomadic character I was determined to connect with.

When winter break began, I went back to Cincinnati...
I remember passing Pup daily before & after work... always sharing a smile and a hello as I quickly walked by. I continusouly struggled with having the courage to ask him if he wanted to join me for coffee. Sometimes I would pass him and then stop and remind myself of what I felt in my heart, and then go back to him... only to awkwardly pass by again. One afternoon, while it was pouring rain and the wind was so strong it pushed you with each step, I felt that I should finally ask him. However, he wasn't in his normal spot. But I had saw him there only a couple hours before. So I took the skywalk around downtown looking for him. He wasn't anywhere to be found. So after an hour searching, I gave up and went home.


The following day, I passed Pup like usual... I stopped at a park bench and called my mom for advice. With her encouragement and a cry out to the big man above, I turned around and went back to him. Pup and I ended up having hot chocolate and coffee. Words cannot even describe my feelings about our simple coffeeshop discussions. Pup shared with me about his life. How he has 2 sons; one 12 and one 9. They live on the other side of the city with Pup's mother. He shared with me about how he has a lot of brothers and sisters and how they all have been diagnosed with being bipolar.

Pup lives in a tent with a couple other guys on 9th street somewhere... I guess the other night, one of his friends who lived there passed away because he had been sick due to the weather. A news station interviewed Pup at the scene.

He told me about a local artist named Samantha Brown... Apparently she painted a portrait of him and it can be viewed at the Pendleton Art Center on 12th street. One the last Friday of every month admission is free and Pup claims that he sits by his portrait to talk about it. -I need to go see this :D

Pup asked me if I was a model... He said that I had the "eyes of a model." I couldn't help but laugh at him. Such a small compliment from someone so simple... It's kind of funny how that is... It means a lot to me that Pup compliments me more than some attractive, superficial guy.

That night, I called a close friend to tell them about the conversation. He started laughing harshly and pointed out how "I am crazy" and that I am the only person he knows who turns down dates with professional athletes/attractive guys so that I can chill with the homeless. That most people would probably refer to me as "stuck up" because I am invited to a variety of pretentious events and I don't go. I'd rather "secretly help people."
-Now although, he over exaggerated a bit with his point, and he was meaning to be negatively sarcastic... I turned it around. I think this may have actually been the nicest thing he has ever said to me. Calling me crazy... only inspires me to have that "crazy love."

As the weeks went on I continued to take him hot chocolate. School is back in now and so I do not know what he is up to... I hope that he is okay... Part of me wants him to be there when I go back only because I don't want to lose contact.

I still have the flower he gave me and I think about him quite a bit... Pup was a reminder to me of how I want to live my life. I didn't only impact his life, he impacted mine. Before I went back to school, he told me that he may catch a train to florida where it's a bit warmer in the winter. Haha, wherever he is right now, I hope he's safe.

Concrete Love

So it has taken me a about three weeks but I finally know the name of the nomadic sidewalk dweller who I have been greeting in the morning. Strangely enough, his name is Pup. After telling me his name, I called him Pap. He barked back quickly, informing me it was "Pup, like the dog." He never asked me for my name...

Previously, One early morning it was raining and quite chilly, I was on my way to work. I said hello as I walked past him. The next thing I knew, I was carrying him hot coffee and an apple while trying to grasp firmly on my umbrella. He didn't say thank you but I know he was happy for that warm coffee... maybe not the apple.

The very next morning I saw a woman standing by him (also homeless). As I got closer, they became quite. Me and Pup shared morning greetings as I briskly walked by. I could tell by her look that he must have mentioned I had fed him/helped him out...whatever it is that I did. So now its been a few weeks, and this morning I walked passed her. She was standing in between buildings just chilling. As I began to walk by, I caught her glow. She shared a hello with me. I can't describe it but I instantly knew who she was and I think its cool how she knew who I was... After only seeing me a brief second before and that seems like forever ago.

Hebrews 13:2- God says to take care of strangers, for we could be entertaining angels without knowing it.

There are so many people out there less fortunate... and I am tired of living this simple life that is so comfortable and yet those around me (including me) don't even realize how truly freaking awesome we have it. We find petty things to complain about. I can't really make up my mind on how I feel about it... Is it okay that I have these nice things?? Is it okay that I spend hundreds of dollars for materialistic things. Hypothetically, The hundreds of dollars I'd spend on a new tv would buy hundreds of shoes for kids who live in shack towns. I think I realize what I would enjoy more. It's just the matter of doing it. And thats what I need to be focused on. That is what I need to do.

-Look what Blake Mycoskie did. He has now made a huge impact on the world. His line of "Toms" are now on the feet of many children all over the world. And he did it with the love of others around him. With his catchy marketing promise of "buy a pair of Toms and We'll buy a pair for a child less fortunate."


Everyone wants to be loved. And I believe everyone wants to love others. But its almost like we dont know how... We become to frustrated with our selfishness and become blind to what we dont want to see.

I know this sounds crazy but really, if we all showed love for each other think about what kind of world we could be living in. That my friend, is what I consider Crazy Love. <3

I think organizational work is great. But it shouldnt be the only way of helping others. Like the author Shane Claiborne pointed out in his book, "Irrestible Revoultion." "Jesus never set up a program for helping others... He modeled a way of living that incarnated the reign of God, -The reign did not spread through organizational establishments. Instead, it spread like disease. -through touch, through breath, through life."

So when we finally see Jesus Christ himself... do you really think he's going to say,
"hey thanks. For when I was hungry, you gave a check to United Way and they fed me."
"When I was naked, you donated clothess to the Salvation Army and they clothed me."

Shane Claiborne points out that Jesus isn't seeking distant acts of charity. He seeks concrete acts of love.

Lukewarm & the Homeless

Before I go into work in the morning, my dad makes a simple joke about not talking to the homeless... His reasoning being that they will only want my money or that they may be dangerous... I just kinda laugh it off and leave. Although I understand why he says it, I can't help but be bothered by his remarks. How is it that someone who I know loves God, can commonly continue with such a "joke."

People, like my father, say they love Jesus and that being a Christian is his or her life. When in all actuality, It seems that Jesus is only a part of the life being led. I mean, don't get me wrong. I have been just as guilty as my father and the people I am surrounded by.

As Gods children, we should be showing love to everyone. We should be not only loving our family and friends but also the lives that we don't know... even the lives of the homeless. Although I do understand my fathers reasoning for not wanting to help these typically sick, unclean, cheating, and lying nomads directly, God does want us to help the less fortunate.

After reading Crazy Love by the pastor Francis Chan I feel a stronger passion about helping the homeless. Like I mentioned before, I see the street beggars daily. I am often asked continually by pesky men who make a claim that they really just need bus fare or that they have a sick relative. No matter the excuse, I find a way of saying, "I'm sorry. no."

However, there is this one man... fair weathered skin, appears to be in the mid thirties, wears eye glasses, & is averagely thin... he chills with only his backpack on the sidewalk across from the square. He has no scribbled cardboard sign that asks for spare change. Although I am sure that people give him money... He has never asked me for anything. I have walked past him for about a month now, he has greeted me everyday with a simple hello and often a slight gesture of a quick wave. For some interesting and strange reason, I find fascination in this man.

Two days ago, I saw him maxin & relaxin... typical... I passed him and went to Starbucks for my morning "Grande, Hazelnut, w/ milk, lite ice, iced-coffee." I then opened up Crazy Love and read where Francis Chan talked about the Lukewarm Christian... which led into Matthew 25:40. "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Not to be to literal, but i would feel ashamed if I found out that beggar had been Jesus that I passed up when I was going to get my morning starbucks.

After an hour of reading, I walked to the Pharmacy and bought a breakfast bar that was full of vitamins. It was the best sparatic snack I could find that was nutritunal. As I walked by, I simply handed it to him... He smiled... and that was that. The next morning I had planned on giving him my Pop Tarts. But I was so hungry. So I went to the Square and ate them in the park. After, as I was walking to work, I passed him and with a kind hearted smile he genuinely thanked me for the box of granola snacks. That "Thank You" meant so much to me. But then I also felt really crappy about being so selfish with those pop tarts....

I haven't figured out how I will get to know this homeless guy (who is also still nameless in my book... ) but I know theres the chance that he doesnt know Jesus. And I know that he's been brought into my life for a reason.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"
James 4:17