Hey all! :) Hope you enjoyed my updates while i was on my little trip and dont worry i have more pictures and information to post, but thats gonna have to wait :) I have a story to share with you all..
You all know about my recent trips to Milwaukee, Chicago and Winona. Downtown Chicago and aeras surrounding it are very heavily populated by people, as well as by people less fortunate than lots of us. Every where you go you see people asking for money, trying to sell things to get money, trying to find a ride and more. This honestly has been something i have seen when I have been in Minneapolis but it was WAY more obvious in Chicago and it honestly broke my heart every time... I have been raised in a society that puts a negative label on these kinds of people and the common response is to turn the other cheek and continue on our way, and here is where my story comes in.
My family and i were at the MN Twins game, vs the White Sox- the first game in Chicago last week, fantastic game, so cool! We left half way through the 8th inning due to how crazy traffic would be and we were still 40+ mins away from our hotel. All 5 of us were on a "high" from being the rival team beating the home team on their own "turf" and headed to our car, all smiley and happy with the beautiful Chicago skyline straight ahead of us. We finally got outside of the stadium and realized we went out a different gate than the one we came in and we were walking in the opposite direction of our car. So we stopped and my parents talked trying to get our bearings again so we could head to our car. While my brothers and i were just standing there i see this man in the distance, he is wearing a t-shirt and jeans, walking with a limp and he is crying. I try not to stare but my heart was just breaking for him... We stood there for awhile trying to figure out which direction to go, and then i turn around to find the man approaching me. At first my heart starts to race because i have never been aproached by someone like that, but then God settled my nerves to hear him out. The man approached me sobbing and holding up a bus card, he looked at me and said "I just need 80 cents to get a ride on the bus.." and continues to cry. My heart speeds up and I dont know what to do. My mom looks at him and says "Sir, what did you say you need?" He responds "I just need 80 cents for the bus.." My mom turns to my dad and says "Give him a dollar", but i felt the man looking at me. So I turned to my parents and said "No I got it" and handed him the 80 cents, but when i did he lowered his head like he was ashamed, and told him to take care and be safe. He looks back at me and i glance at his shirt, he has a button on that said "Catholic" and some other words of an organization that i couldnt fully read. When he catches my eye contact he says "Thank you so much Miss, God Bless you, God Bless you..." Continues to cry and slowly walks toward the bus.
I am in absolute awe of his gratitude.
We start walking to the car and I loose it and start crying, it completely breaks my heart to see this happening in our world, but then i realize this.... "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
I pray for him on our way back to the hotel and realize this is something i wont forget.
Fast forward a few days, my college visits are done and im not sure where im going to go, or for that matter where God wants me to go. My grandparents were out of town and asked me to pick up their hour of Adoration on friday evening. I took it for them, go into Adoration and just talk to God, asking him to open me up to what he has instore for me in my future, and what He wants of me. My mind drifts back to Chicago and DePaul, and then back to this man, I pray for him again. Sit back in the chair and close my eyes. I ask God to please show me what He wants me to know. I grab my Bible and open it to a random page without looking... and point to a verse..the verse was... "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
God is amazing, and has so many things in store for me, I cannot wait!
God Bless,
Ashley
