I have never been without a pleasant place to lay my head at night. Not everyone can say that.

When I lie down at night between my clean sheets and feel the warmth of my blankets, I am ever so grateful to God that I have enjoyed this gift from Him. I remember to always thank Him and then I pray for the homeless and the less fortunate of us. Why? Because God has put the love for these people in my heart and now I love and pray for all those who are having difficulties in life be it from their own mistakes or from circumstances beyond their control.

This love, for the people finding life a bit too difficult to maneuver, brought me to a presentation on the housing and homelessness crisis. Mr. Tyler Keene, the executive director of The Branches, informed those in attendance of this serious situation particularly in our own backyard – Cape May County.

We have all seen the homeless and needy around us. This is not a secret. I volunteer at the Food Cupboard in Ocean City and even on this lovely multimillion-dollar-home island there are homeless people who come to us needing food. We have a few in particular who only take what they can carry in their knapsacks. We have available protein-heavy items we can offer along with a fruit drink to carry them through the day.

Can any of us relate? Most of us walk to our well-stocked cupboards to pick up a snack and yet there are people within our eyesight and arm’s reach who not only do not have a bed but they have no lunch or dinner either. My heart breaks for them as I am sure many of yours do too.

Pastor Bill Warner from the Atlantic City Rescue Mission has filled our pulpit many times over the years but this year we have been blessed to hear from him more often because our pastor retired in June and Pastor Warner is on our list of pulpit supply. He shares stories of great turn-arounds in peoples’ lives with addictions as Jesus changes those damaging thoughts and actions from within to focus on Jesus’ will and ways for our lives. 

One of the mission’s success stories attended our church for years and sang in the choir after his recovery from alcohol addiction. What a beautiful man and wonderful servant of God. He was so in love with Jesus that he went back to the mission to teach classes even as he was trying to earn enough to keep his head above water. He has since gone home to be with Jesus and those of us who knew and loved him miss him along with his many talents and contributions to our congregation.

Each one of the lost and/or homeless are creations of the Father as are you and I. Each person is a treasure. We can help them to see the life that God planned for them and not the life they have chosen or fallen into. Recovery is possible but we would be wise to see Jesus as the answer. Only Jesus can pick us up and wash us clean to show us the path He has set for us.

I was so happy to hear Sandra Lockhart, the operations director at The Branches, say her constant comment about services provided by The Branches is, “It’s a God thing.” This is because the needs of client services by all of our outreach ministries can only continue by the hand and will of God. We cannot save others in our humanness because we are broken and sinful people from the day we are born.  Without faith in Jesus’ saving grace we are all totally lost.  

Good Samaritans have a wonderful heart and their intentions are true but we only put band aids on peoples’ troubles if we are not giving them the hope of Jesus to guide their lives. Those of us who are serving in Jesus’ name must live our lives in such a way as to show His good grace in every encounter we have. 

God is always the answer to helping others and I was pleased to see that is the very reason The Branches is thriving and growing. We all need to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need a hand up. If we let our hands be the hands of Jesus we will see miracles beyond our wildest imaginations and we will constantly be praising God and giving Him the glory for the successes.

Every one of us has a God-given gift. Let us make use of that blessed gift to help those in need of Jesus.

ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.