The prayer of a homeless man

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A little while back, I had the privilege to eat lunch with two of my homeless friends. It was the first time we had a chance to sit down, talk and get to know one another on a more personal level.

We chatted for a while about where we are from, hobbies and family. And then our food arrived. And this is when our time together really got interesting. What happened next is a moment I will remember for a long time. It hit me in the heart. It shamed me. It made me want to proclaim my thanks in a greater way.

What happened? One of my friends offered thanks for our meal.

It wasn’t just a prayer. It was one line that he uttered to the Father in the prayer …

“And be with those who are less fortunate …” That’s what he said. He asked God to be with “those” who are less fortunate! And he did it in a way where he was not including himself. What? “You slept in a tent last night in the pouring rain. You have no home, car or electricity! Be with those who are less fortunate?”

Right then and there, I had a little pep talk with myself.

“Did you hear that, Joey? The next time you want to throw a pity party, remember that prayer!”

And then I paused and offered a silent prayer of my own.

“God, thank you for having me here today.”

How fortunate are we? But how grateful are we?

Grateful is defined as: feeling or showing thanks to someone for some helpful act.

How often do you express your gratefulness to God for the blessings He gives you?

Sadly, way too often I find myself swimming around in a pool of selfpity. A pool of pity that I filled myself. I choose to be ungrateful.

But my homeless friend got me to thinking about my life — about how good it is and about how I should express thanks to my God above for all He has done for me. If a man who sleeps in a tent each night can look at the world and see others as “the less fortunate,” surely, I can thank God for the life I live. So, I started by saying: God, my day was a great day — filled with many blessings: I talked to my brother on the phone for an hour, I spent good quality time around the dinner table with my wife and children, I had a very encouraging talk on the phone with one of our shepherds and I watched two birds dance around on a tree limb as I sat in my office and studied.

But of all the blessings I’ve received lately, I’m most grateful … for the prayer of a homeless man.

Amen.