A Spot On The Sidewalk

There he sat on the sidewalk.
A homeless man sitting on a small mat.
His few possessions around him.
A white plastic bucket next to him which held a few things.

No sign.
No explanation.
A small cup in front of him to prompt someone to give.
There he was, by himself, sitting on the sidewalk.

A man walks up to him.
He asks the homeless man if he can borrow his bucket.
At first the homeless man looked surprised.
Surprised, not so much because of the request, but because someone was talking to him.

The homeless man hands over his bucket.
The other man takes the bucket, sits on the ground and begins to drum.
He drums expertly.
The homeless man is amazed that his bucket is being used for such a purpose.

Soon after, another man walks up to the two on the sidewalk.
He has a guitar.
He sits on the other side of the homeless man and begins to play.
The drummer, and the guitarist, and the homeless man together on the sidewalk.

Within minutes, a young woman joins them.
She sits next to the guitarist and across from the drummer.
She begins to sing.
A trio of musicians and a homeless man who gave his bucket away.

A crowd gathers.
The drummer takes off his hat and places it in the center of their circle.
People are watching them and moving to the beat of the music.
Mothers hand their children some coins to put inside the hat.

Many people pass by.
Those who were moved by the music, stopped.
A crowd was beginning to form.
More people than the homeless man ever saw around him.

What drew them?
The music?
The unlikely quartet?
Compassion or curiosity?

The homeless man sat amazed on the section of the sidewalk that had become his spot.
He looked at each of the three faces before him.
Forgetting that the bucket was his bucket; he saw only a drum, a guitar, and a singer.
Forgetting that what he gave away so willingly was now being used to bless others.

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’ ” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord as spoken by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:7-16)

Imagine being asked to give away what little bit you have.
Imagine trusting God so completely that you know He will provide.
Imagine that in trusting Him there is perfect provision.
Your needs are met.

We fail to distinguish the difference between our needs and our wants.
They seem to blend together in our minds.
The two couldn’t be more different.
God always provides what we need, not always what we want.

If we were able to see things from God’s perspective, we would begin to understand.
We need far less than we want.
So because our wants are so over and above our needs, we are often disappointed.
God knows what we need before we even ask Him, better than we know what we need.

The homeless man watched the three musicians get up from the sidewalk.
The drummer picked up his hat and handed it to the homeless man.
The homeless man now had a new hat.
The homeless man now had the offerings that were placed in the hat: perfect provision.

This happens every day, if we just have eyes to see.
God is working.
We make God known to others in the smallest of ways.
The small, insignificant things are really the most spectacular things for His Kingdom.

Open your eyes and see.
Be a part of God’s Kingdom work.
In the smallest of ways, make Him known.
Be amazed at what God will do with your little bit.

 

2 responses to “A Spot On The Sidewalk”

1. Knowing you wrote today’s blog post before the sermon yesterday is amazing! The Lord truly works in mysterious ways! Now to keep from getting those lines blurred between what we need and what we want….prayerful decisions about literally everything is the key. Once again, thanks for sharing your heart!

   Reply

   • Nancy,
     You are right about everything being wrapped in prayer. God can use our little bit for His Glory. Even when we think that what we are doing is insignificant, God will turn that obedience into fruit for the Kingdom.
     Gina

     Reply