Val

I forgot to mention in my Thanksgiving post that I was especially blessed by a service project I did with my Sunday School class last week. We decided to head over to Star of Hope - a Christian mission that has several homeless shelters in the not so great parts of downtown Houston. We took with us turkey sandwiches, water bottles, and bags of toiletries/goodies for those who are without a home this holiday season.
Once we arrived at the shelter we spread out around the parking lot giving gifts and chatting with those who were standing in line to secure their spot inside the shelter that night. It's been a while since I've interacted with the homeless and it made me feel incredibly grateful that I have a roof over my head, and don't have to wonder each morning when I get up whether or not I'll be able to sleep in a bed the next night. To think that I obsess over finding the right lamp shade for my entry table while these folks are just looking for an entry into any warm place to sleep. Shame.
I was really blessed by the first woman I spoke with, her name was Val. I bet Val was in her 60's, and she had a smile on her face from the moment I eyed her across the street from where our cars were parked. I approached her with our small gifts and began asking her about her life in Houston. Val is homeless, but has been granted temporary residence in one of the rooms at Star of Hope, and she shared with me how God is using her to share His love with all who enter the shelter. She introduced us to two of her friends and told us about the ways that God has used her to minister to other women living on the streets. She spoke excitedly about a pair of radio headphones she owned that could let her listen to the big Thanksgiving football games...she had been a UT student in her younger years and was rooting Texas to 'hook those aggies down'. I don't know how Val ended up on the streets, but in the 15 minutes I spent with her I realized that even though her life looks so hopeless and sad from my perspective, she is filled with the joy of the Lord, and she pours that love onto those around her daily. WOW.

I'm hoping to spend more time at the Women's/Family shelter in Houston and know that the small amount I'm able to give will be multiplied a thousand times over in the blessings I'll recieve from my visits. I hope you can find some place like this to remember how blessed we are this holiday season.