Birley's bunch

Birley is a 59 year old man who works at a homeless shelter in the Chicagoland. He also conducts Bible studies twice a day 5 days a week. Once a month myself and 6 other men serve at the shelter. Begininng at 6:30 AM we serve breakfast and just hang around and talk to those that come in off the streets.

I have met men and women who truly know what it means to suffer. No matter how bad your life is … image having no place to sleep. You look for an unlocked car or a big cardboard box or an old discarded blanket for shelter. And your homelessness doesn’t take a break when you are sick or injured or lonely and unwanted.

Birley asked how he could pray for me … so I gave him my prayer request. In return I asked him how I could pray for him. With watered eyes he said … “pray for my brother … my brother is the one who led me to Jesus and taught me that nothing else matters”. I then asked Birley where his brother was, and he said …
… “on death row”.

Every time I start feeling like God has blessed so many other people more than He has “pooor little ole me” … blessed them with money, a big house, or even a healthier body … I go visit Birley and his bunch. Oh sure, you’ll find people at the shelter with bitter hearts and angry attitudes … but you’ll also find folks who love Jesus with such joy … even in the midst of their circumstances.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11;
“… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” If you read the rest of that chapter you will discover that his contentment comes from trusting in Jesus. Nothing else matters.