It struck me in the middle of a citywide meeting in a fancy shmancy restaurant, ‘ask for the leftovers’. That’s tacky… I can’t ask. The meeting ended and I walked out the door, only to see waiters had already boxed up leftovers and set them out for the taking. Okay. I’ll grab a couple. ‘Grab three’. I live alone, I do not need three. ‘There are three of them’. As I walked to my car, the Lord revealed there were three people He wanted to feed. I thought perhaps they would appear on my way back to the office but as I approached the interstate exit I heard Him say ‘keep driving’. So I continued on. I saw a woman walking and thought, that’s probably one. I stopped and asked if she needed help. She did not. So I continued on and on and on and I heard, ‘you’re going the wrong direction’. 30 minutes into my trek and I’m going the wrong direction. So I turned around.

Any other day, I find homeless people on nearly every street corner, but not today. Not one in sight. I started praying, Lord, reveal who these people are. I have to get back to work. And He told me that I couldn’t do his work under the world’s standard of time. A peace calmed my heart. But I started to become anxious soon again. Where are these people? I saw a man standing on a corner. Yes, that could be one, I thought. I parked in a lot, walked up to him and asked “Are you hungry?” “No,” he said, “But I get that alot.” Argh. Okay. So I got back into my car and drove further down the road. I turned into a logical place, a park. I thought since there were three boxed meals, then it must be a family of three I’m looking for. But then I see one… sleeping on a park bench and I knew. So I hopped out of my car (in heels) and trekked through the grass. I nudged him awake, “Are you hungry,” I asked. “YES!”, he exclaimed. “Okay, well God told me you were out here and wanted me to bring you this. God bless you man,” I said and walked back to my car. Alright, one down… two more to go.

A few circles in the park and I saw a man sitting on a swing with a garbage bag sitting next to him, but he’s wearing a pair of Nike’s and has on three gold watches. That can NOT be someone in need. ‘That’s all he has, Trisha. Feed him’. I found parking down the street and journeyed up some paths and through the grass, back to the man on a swing. “Are you hungry?” I asked. “Yes, I am,” he said. “Okay. Well, God wanted me to give you this meal,” I remarked. “Why? Why are you doing this,” he asked. “Because God told me you were here and hungry. May God bless you brother,” and I walked away. Side note: I started to feel like maybe I should stay and have a conversation but sadly I didn’t turn back around. I think next time I will stay and listen to his story. That may mean more than a meal at the end of the day.

It’s now an hour later and I have one more meal left. I heard God say ‘start heading back’. So I started the drive and just before the interstate exit, there he was! He must have been late getting to the corner because I had already passed by it once and didn’t see him. Or perhaps God had other things for me and I was just early the first time around. Nonetheless, I pulled off the side of the road. He had his dog with him and a sign that read DOWN ON OUR LUCK. I approached him from side and said “I know you are hungry. I’ve been searching all over you. God sees you. He knows you. And He loves you. He wanted me to find you and give you this. Be blessed brother.” Usually someone will chime back ‘oh, God bless you.’ But not this guy. He didn’t say a word. He just looked at me in shock and that’s when I knew… he doesn’t know Jesus and you just introduced him to that love. 

Words cannot express the way my heart is touched by the way God uses us. My lack of patience at times will try to get the best of me, but I have learned that when we ‘answer the call’, it rarely ever happens on our time. In fact, if we’re not careful, God’s call can come across as more of an interruption according to the world’s standards. And it reminds me of the old saying ‘leave room in your life for God’s interruptions. They are really blessings in disguise.’ I am truly blessed and left without sufficient words for how great our God really is. I look forward to that day we meet face to face.

My hope as you’re reading this is that if you’ve ever been unsure about whether God sees you in the mess you’re in, I’m here to tell you He sees, He knows you and help is on the way. Don’t give up hope yet! For others, I’m here to ask ‘Are you ready to answer the call when it comes? What if it looked tacky and took up an hour and a half of your day? I think God is calling out to us every single day to do things like this because that’s what He created us to do. But sadly, I don’t respond to a lot of them because my own agenda gets in the way. I wanted to encourage you with this story today, of what answering the call could look like. I cannot describe the humility on my heart or the power of Jesus exuding in my soul, but maybe it’s not for me to tell you. Perhaps you’ll have to answer the call and experience it for yourself.

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’