It was the homeless of Gainesville that taught me what is really important in living out your days here on Earth. It is so easy to get caught up in the layers upon layers of “stuff” that happens along our journey. Interpersonal agendas get in the way. The weight of the material trappings of life becomes almost too heavy to carry. The homeless, as a general rule, travel light – one change of cloths, one pair of shoes, a bedroll, protection from the elements, enough food to stave off hunger, one cup of coffee a day, and every relationship is important … you never know when you might need someone to watch your back. They learn quickly as to who can be trusted and who is just faking it to look good to others. There is deep appreciation for small things – clothing in all sizes: men’s work pants & jeans, T-shirts, underwear & socks; women’s pants, shorts, blouses and underwear; deodorant, powder, hand sanitizer & bug spray; paperback books and reading glasses (all strengths); and financial or materials support for women’s program purchase of snacks/drinks/hygiene products … a kind word, a smile, and a thank you … in other words, a hand up.
The Helping Hands Clinic, which is a free clinic in downtown Gainesville which operates out of First UMC and is run by a caring individual, Randy Stacey. They are always appreciative of any assistance that individuals or groups can give – volunteers, financial support and/or gifts of the small things they give away each week. The doctors and interns from the surrounding hospitals and UofF’s school of medicine are great assets to what the clinic is trying to accomplish … to provide a hand up when an individual is down. Randy’s wife and helpmate, Cynthia, helped create this outreach ministry and lovingly provides the best medicine to any homeless individual … foot care. The feet of the homeless really take a beating. The need to take care of their feet is extremely important.
I thought of the homeless of Gainesville and of this outstanding ministry, which was nominated as one of President George Bush’s “1,000 Points of Lights,” the other day as I came across a set of “Good Rules to Live By”. I thought that I would pass them on while encouraging everyone who reads this blog to extend some assistance to an outstanding ministry.
1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!
2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague
6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8 * Never buy a car you can't push.
9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.
13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Quote for today: People need people. Laurie was about three when one night she requested my aid in getting undressed. I was downstairs and she was upstairs, and ... well. "You know how to undress yourself," I reminded. "Yes," she explained, 'but sometimes people need people anyway, even if they do know how to do things by themselves." ~William C. Schultz
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