Shepard's Hands

This past weekend I went to Baltimore City to hand out clothes and food to the homeless. It was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but oddly enough I was not uncomfortable there at all! There were so many people there to help and lots of people there helping them!
I got to spend the whole time handing out Bibles and Jesus bracelets to individuals...which I had never done before. It was such a special time though! People were so grateful and were mostly excited to listen!
We met a woman who said she was just baptized 4 weeks ago. She was shining when she talked about how she hadn't missed a Sunday church service yet since then! She got sad and started to tear up though when she told us how she didn't know how to pray so instead she just would remain silent. She said when she gets angry now she just tries to be still and wait for God to calm her down. I told her how great that was because most of us are still spewing all of our thoughts at God while He's trying to say "Shush girl I'm trying to talk to you!"...
We met a man who, after telling him the story and offering him a bracelet, showed us his warn bracelet on his arm and said he should be telling us the story! He was so nice, and I offered him a second bracelet and Bible to hand out to someone he knows. I then helped him look for some clothes for his "full figured" wife (she wasn't there) and when he picked up a pair of jeans and said "this might fit her" I said, "You know what, it doesn't even matter! Women don't care if things you pick out fit...she'll just be so glad you thought of her!" His face just lit up!
Heather was telling the Jesus story and I was just handing out the Bibles all day...and then I was given the bracelets to hand out. I was very nervous and stalled for a long time. But I'm glad I stepped out and got out of my comfort zone before I left and handed out the last bracelet to an older woman. She got all teary eyed when I told her and thanked me so much.
One of the women we talked to came back before I left just to thank me for taking the time to talk with her, and how special that was!
I love what Heather said about the beads, so I am going to share that, so I remember!
She would walk up to people and say "When you have a minute, I have a story that I'd love to share with you if you'd like to hear it." When they would come over, she would show them the bracelet and say,
"This story probably isn't new to you, but this was a new way of remembering it for me...This bracelet is to remind us of God's love and plan for us. This gold bead represents when God made us. We were perfect, made in His image...but then this black bead represents sin. Everyone sins...we might show it differently, but we all do it. But then this middle bead, the red, one, this is the most special one! It reminds us that Christ shed his blood on the cross for us! To make us clean, the white bead! He took all that sin away from us! Then this last bead, the green one, it represents us growing. Growing closer and closer to Him."
Then we would ask if they would like to wear it and would tie it on for them.