Street Kids and the Homeless

Last night's news had the annual insert on how the recent bone-numbing cold has been affecting the street kids and homeless in our cities. Many do not have a blanket to their name, and are huddled around fires made from anything they can find to survive. A lot of them will freeze to death this winter.

And in this morning's staff worship-time, the annual prayer request for these folk came up. I was asked to pray - and had a hard time actually doing it.

After all, what are our prayers going to actually help? Is it just to ease our concience that we've now "done our spiritual duty"?

I once heard of a pastor who was asked to pray for some cause (a missionary I think who was in financial difficulty). He refused. Instead he asked everyone present to open up their wallets, took up a collection, and more than covered the need they would previously have "just prayed" for.

So here I am, wondering what we can do more than just pray. More than go hand out money or a blanket to any bedraggled-looking street person we come across.

What more permanent solutions are there - and how can I help? What can I do NOW for at least one person who may otherwise not make it through tonight? What can I do that will last?

Something I'm thinking hard about today.