Our First Homeless Outreach Experience

BY PARKER, JEN & FLETCHER MANHART

PARKER:

Wow! What a day.

I don't know if we helped anyone. We feel a little bit helpless. We don't know if we made anyones day, but they did make our day. We stepped outside of our box. We saw homeless people as human beings. Carl, Jeff, Lon (The Irishman), Todd, Jay, John. They all have their own stories. They are all different people. Not just people that we have seen outside our car window passing by.

JEN:

We met some who were not really willing to open up. I spent a good part of the day at the park with a woman with three children. I am embarrassed to say I never asked her name. I felt like an outsider and didn't want to pry. I know her oldest, 4, has Autism, she has a 2 year old daugher, just like myself, and a 9 month old daughter who needs size 5 diapers. We both sat and watched our children play on the playground like all moms do, yet we are so different. I watched as she tried to organize the old diaper bag that had been sitting in a closet at my house for years now. (The gloves, hats, food bags, and the sunglasses that I had been missing for several years too! LOL) I am blessed with a home, diapers for my own children, food in our fridge. She on the other hand, also a mother of 3 children, has no home, no diapers for her baby, no food in a refrigerator. I watched as she still did her best to parent her children as they played with my oldest child. We did relate to how hard it is to be a mom of 3 young children. We shared a moment of laughter at having 2 year old daughters and what it is like dealing with those terrible twos. We can relate on these matters, we are moms, we share this bond. But, I cannot relate to what it is like to live on the street. Our conversation haulted after that. So we just sat and watched our kids play. Two moms at the park. The same, yet so very different. Did I help her today? No. But she sure helped me. I came home and loved on my children like I did the first day I set my eyes on them. Thank you God for allowing me to be able to provide for my childrens needs. Help me to be thankful for the blessing you surround me with daily. Don't let me be content in my everyday life. Help me step out of my box more. Help me to teach my children to do the same. Be with this mother and her 3 beautiful children. Let them know that we are not different, for we are ALL Your children. This makes us the same. This is my prayer.

God Bless you for your great gift. Loving people! What a great revolution!

-The Manhart Family

Oh, and what did our 7 year old son learn from this day. Well, it was just a great day at the park. He is a child, and in his eyes, he was just with everyday people. Quote, "Mom, when do we get to go back and hang out with everybody again?"

This I love.