When the Homeless Give

            Back in 2002, a New York City police officer by the name of Eduardo Delacruz received a very special Christmas gift—$3,000. What made the gift special was that it came from the homeless people.

            It seems that Officer Delacruz had refused to arrest a homeless man he had found sleeping in a parking garage. The police officer had nowhere else to go, so he decided to let him remain.

            For that decision Officer Delacruz, who had a wife and five children, was suspended for 30 days without pay. That is when the homeless community acted. Some contributed portions of their welfare checks, others recycled cans and bottles and contributed the money, still others went to passers-by in the city streets seeking change for the officer.

            When they had finished, they had raised $3000. All of this to show a man how much they appreciated him standing up for them. One of the homeless men, Joe Bostic, said this, "We just wanted to thank him by contributing however we could.”

            I think Christians have been called to cultivate that gracious spirit toward God. Reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Preacher writing to the Hebrews says, 15 Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus (Heb. 13:15.) CEV

            That means we Christians live lives filled with gratitude toward God for what he has done for us.

Source: THE PASTOR'S WEEKLY BRIEFING

                December 28, 2002