Photo courtesy Cru Inner City.
It was a dark, wintry Chicago night. Evelyn could think of no better time to take Homeless Care Kits to those who would be shouldering the oncoming snowstorm alone, without food or supplies.
She set out from her church, Generational Blessings, with a carload of Homeless Care Kits and a prayer that God would work powerfully through the Kits.
Each Kit contained a blanket, scarf, gloves, and basic hygiene supplies, as well as a gospel explanation. It could mean the difference between life and death for someone out in the snowstorm that night.
It could make an eternal difference; that was Evelyn’s prayer.
Evelyn parked in front of an unfamiliar homeless shelter, feeling uncertain as she stared down the long line of folks waiting for beds. Then she noticed Donna, Fred, John, and Mark – four people standing to the side of the line.
With Homeless Care Kits in hand, Evelyn approached and introduced herself. Donna explained that despite the snow, the shelter wouldn’t be open for hours yet. The Kits were a welcome gift.
Evelyn was then able to explain about an even more important gift: the gift of salvation through Jesus. When she finished, all four of her new friends wanted to pray and receive Jesus as their savior.
“We stood right there on the corner and prayed together,” she says. “All throughout the prayer you could hear these grateful individuals praising the Lord.”
It wasn’t until Evelyn looked up that she realized their small prayer group had more than doubled in size! Hurrying back to her car, she gathered all the Kits she had left and handed them out.
“Their ‘thank you's’ delighted my heart,” Evelyn says. “Because they weren’t just thanking me…they were thanking Jesus!”
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