12.09.22

Cross Walk - Carbondale, IL

I had a great time walking the cross tonight. Twenty minutes into the evening, I met a young man around the age of 19 who was from Florida. Ian found himself homeless after the recent storms in his hometown and is trying to start over from nothing. We talked for roughly 5 minutes about The Cross and how prayer can change any situation. He took a bottle of water, a snack, and continued on his way.

Forty-Five minutes into the walk I came across another homeless man. David is 52 and he's been around Southern Illinois for 30 years. We also talked about The Cross, and I shared with him how faithful Jesus has been to me, guiding me through all the rough times in life. He also received a bottle of water and a snack and continued on his way. I walked for another hour and our paths crossed again. He greeted me with a smile and said “hello” as he told me of his need for some better shoes. It was obvious that his feet were hurting by the way he walked. I noticed the condition of his worn-out shoes as we talked, and wouldn’t you know, Shoe Carnival happened to be nearby. So I said “lets go over there,” pointing to the store. His face lit-up and his voice was full of hope as he asked, “are you going to get me new shoes?” I told him that God wanted to bless him with new shoes for Christmas. We walked over and David picked out his gift!

This Journey of walking The Cross started only two months ago. It has been very humbling, and encouraging to me. It’s easy to realize how blessed you are to have your basic needs met when you’re face to face with those who are struggling and have nothing. God has been good to me and I want to share that goodness with anyone I may meet on the streets, walking The Cross!