Another God Story from a UBFM member:
I
think we have as many reasons for participating in UBFM as there are riders;
probably more, because I definitely have more than one. One is definitely all the awesome friends
I’ve made among the riders. I wanted to
take the chance to write a little about the reason I wanted to be a part of
this when I heard about it (before I knew about the cool people), and my main
purpose in continuing to participate.
Something Tommy said in his post last Wednesday really made
an impression on me and inspired me to write this:
“It
is a fact that we are not going to cure the hunger or homeless problem in our
city. We are doing very little to help it. To be honest, that is not our focus.
Our focus is to offer hope to people who have lost it.”
While
I absolutely think feeding the poor/homeless is important, I’m under no
illusion that giving someone a burrito and a moon pie is going to have a
lasting effect on their life. We can
show them that there are people out there who care enough to take an evening
and bring them some food when they’re hungry or a jacket when they’re cold. The
fact is tomorrow will come and that will be overshadowed by the reality of all
those who drive past and look at them as failures, and those who avoid them as
they walk through the parking lot to their cars.
However,
God has given them the gift of his son Jesus—a gift that is infinitely
valuable. What I can do is show them the
love that Jesus has shown me and point to the hope that I have:
In this is love,
not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins. 1 John
4:10
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter
1:3-4
My
transgressions against God are paid for and my punishment is borne by his
death. The ability to live this life and
to have the joy of spending eternity with a perfect, awe-inspiring God are won
by the fact the God raised Him from the dead.
That’s a hope that transcends the difficulties of poverty and defies the
instability of our temporary situation.
It’s a hope they can have because of what Jesus has done.
The
reality is so many people who are seen as successful are not actually doing
what they were created to do.
He
[Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Colossians 1:15
Our
friends living on the street can actually live fulfilled lives knowing they are
doing exactly what they were created for.
In fact they may be better able to do it than those who seem more
privileged at first glance. Jesus, who
was the perfect example of what a person should be, spent a lot of his life
without a home:
And
Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Matthew 8:20
The
great thing about UBFM is that actions so often speak louder than words. I am thankful for the opportunity to show people
that I (and someone who is a lot bigger and more important than me) really care
about them. For my part I also want to share
with them the hope and joy I have in God.
How I can do that in the 30 second conversations I have with them as I
hand them a burrito I’m not sure, but I know even small actions can make an
eternal difference. I’m also going to
try to be more open to those who may need a little more of my time and let
whoever I’m with ride on without me and help others.
Today
I’m praying that all these I see who have had to endure much more hardship than
I have, will be able to say:
“But
we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power
belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the
death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our
bodies.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
I’m
excited for tonight!
-Isaac
May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the
power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
