Benny

I heard one of the best sermons I've ever heard the other day. It wasn't told to me by a fancy pastor in a suit or even preached from the pulpit. It was told to me by an older gentleman holding his only possessions in the world in a single, well-worn backpack.

His name was Benny and he was homeless.

We found Benny through a church outreach. The church that my husband and I attend, started taking a group to Downtown Jacksonville and feeding the homeless during the winter. The word would spread that donations for hot food, drinks, and blankets were needed and within hours the church body would work together to make it happen. We would drive all over the Downtown area, where it was common to see at least one homeless person every other block, if not more. We would pass church buildings that were locked up, but they would have homeless people sleeping on their stoops. We found a group of people tucked back in the woods, under a bridge, and living out of tents. And we found Benny. We found him under a bridge overpass with another small group of men. His group was always very nice to us, thanking us for the hot drinks and chili and telling us that they were so glad God brought us into their lives. The first night we met them, my husband pointed Benny out to me and said, "He's different. I don't know what it is about him, but it's almost like he chose to be out here or something." When it got really cold, we would take them back to our church building and provide them with a warm bed, hot showers, and awesome food. Benny and his guys (we nicknamed them Benny and the Jets)  didn't normally want to come with us, but on this particular night, there was a possibility of freezing and that and the fact that he trusted us, after seeing us for the past few weeks, spurred them to come with us.

It wasn't until the next morning that I got to really sit down and talk to Benny. I had so many questions for him. Partially because I'm nosey and partially because something about him intrigued me. I found out many things that surprised me; I learned that he chose to be homeless. He told me that he had been working since he was young and as he got closer to retirement age, all he really ever wanted to do, was to be able to sit and read his Bible all day. He expressed his desire to know more about Christ and how he wanted to reach out to other people on the streets. We sat and talked about the Bible and about God's grace. The older men that was with his "group" stood around us silently and watched. Although, they didn't participate in the conversation, I could tell that they really looked up to Benny and respected everything he said.

But one thing in particular stuck with me when I was talking to him. Benny told me a story. He said that when he was first thinking about giving up his life for the streets, (he wasn't married and he had no kids) he would sit on a bench in Downtown Jacksonville and watch the homeless people go by. He told me about how he sat across the street from a gas station and saw a homeless man walk by pushing a grocery cart full of his belongings. He said the man had blankets and trinkets and all kinds of random things in the cart---all that was left of his earthly possessions. He was even carrying a folded sleeping bag on his back. Benny told me about how the man tried to go into the gas station with his cart and how the gas station attendants told him he couldn't take it inside with him. Benny watched, as the man was conflicted about leaving his belongings outside, but in the end, the fear of having his stuff stolen drove him to walk away. Then he told me of the other homeless people he saw. The ones who carried only one backpack and this allowed them to walk in and out of the gas station unhindered. Benny then quoted Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

He talked to me about how so many people hold on to things, but they're just that, they're just things. And at the end of the day, at the end of your life, they're not worth anything. They're useless. They're worthless. They won't be able to protect you. They won't be able to save you.

Talking to him opened up my eyes to see that I hold on to things everyday. Without even meaning to, I make idols out of my possessions and I neglect the only one who can save me. He was right, you know? When we die, we can't take any of our stuff with us. So don't expect to take all your belongings with you in your unfurnished mansion in Heaven. It doesn't work that way. The newest thing will only be new for a time and then, as all things do, it becomes old. Think about that.