“Those generous will themselves be blessed.” ~ Proverbs 22:9
The man sat motionless; his eyes fixed on nothing at all.
His skin hid beneath layers of grime and a wool cap masked an untidy mop of greyish
red. A handwritten message on a cardboard sign lay before him. Its handwritten
message begged: “Spare a little kindness?”
Most people walked
past him without so much as a glance. But not Luke, who strode purposely toward
the unkept man who averted his friendly smile. Street life had taught the man to
remain aloof, even a stray glance could mean trouble he’d best avoid.
Luke handed the man a quart-sized Ziploc bag full of items like
granola bars, bottled water, hand sanitizer, tissues, and a few $1 bills. He
also included inspiring Bible verses such as “Give thanks to God, for His
love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:26). Luke had been very deliberate about what went in each
bag.Then he turned and quietly walked away without saying a word.
That’s because 19-year-old Luke has autism and struggles with speech and severe anxiety.
Seeing their hardship tugged at his heart.
Even though Luke can’t speak much, he could hear them. He understood what it was like to battle without a voice. “I
can’t speak well, but I can listen,” Luke wrote. “I can give what they've have been asking for – help!”
He enlisted family members to create packets full of items street
people need and began handing them out. It wasn’t long before their home church
found out what he’d been doing, and the 100-member congregation decided to join
him! Since it’d been Luke’s idea to start the “Packet Ministry,” they picked
him to lead it.
During the first year, they handed out nearly 1,200 “goodie
bags.” The ministry has spread to other local churches. Luke also recruited his
church’s youth group to help assemble the packets.
Heading up the ministry has been an empowering experience
for Luke, because where he was once perceived as the boy with the disability,
he’s now the proud leader with a focused mission.
“I’ve been given an incredible support system. It scares me
to think about traveling alone in this world, but that’s the reality for so
many,” he wrote. “If I can ease a frightened soul, my struggles aren’t so bad. It’s
wonderful that God is using me in this way.”
Though he faces verbalization challenges, he’s taught his
family to communicate and a whole community to serve by his example.
True beauty comes from within. You can be the prettiest
person on the planet, but if you’re not kind and caring to others, it won’t
matter how attractive you are. The best way to learn how to find inner beauty
is by watching someone like Luke demonstrate compassion in his daily life.
Heavenly Father, show me how to be more like
Luke today so that You will be glorified. Help me to love the way he loves; to
humble myself as he humbled himself; and to trust and obey as Christ always did.
Amen
