Today some of us from the office, along with four people from the local church and community set out for the Claiborne and Canal underpass and Duncan Plaza to feed the homeless. We took with us 250 bottles of water, 250 bananas, sandwiches and hot soup.

We set up camp at our first destination and many of them came to us for nourishment. Near the end of our time under the overpass I was glancing around to see about recruiting others to come over for a bite. There was a whole ‘nother area of people, but I kept looking at one man sitting alone across the street. My friend remarked that he could come over and get it if he was hungry, but I reminded him that pride can still be involved, even when you truly desire what people are offering. Besides, it was no big deal for me to just hop across the street, food in hand. So that’s what I did.

“Are you hungry?” I said as I plopped down beside him, sitting cross-legged.

“Sure!” I asked what his name was and I think he said “E.J.”, then he simply said “Earl”.

“Hi, Earl… I’m Hannah”. All the shapes and colors of his teeth smiled back at me his “pleased to meet you”.

“You from this area?” I asked.

“Born and raised!” he smiled again. “Where are you from?” he asked me with sincerity. I told him where I lived in East Tennessee, with the mountains and all. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Earl replied.

By this time I was enjoying myself. Well, I’d say I was already enjoying myself when I started to head over to Earl sitting there alone. But he was a warm man… such a sincere smile.

He told me he was waiting for someone to pick him up so he could go to an appointment about receiving food stamps. He didn’t have bags with him like most who were sitting under the underpass. Nonetheless, I doubted the living conditions and job security Earl’s currently facing.

I asked about his family and if he’d be seeing them over the holidays. He said yes and lit up again, clearly looking forward to visiting with his family over Christmas.

Before I left I asked if I could pray with him about his appointment today—that it would go well—and also that he would have a safe and blessed trip to visit his family.

He said yes, so I did.

When I finished and before I could raise my head back up all the way, he caught my eye to ask, “What religion are you?”

“I’m a Christian.” I replied, then added, “I believe in Jesus!”

“I do too,” he said proudly, explaining that he grew up in a Catholic church but that he’s come to disbelieve some things about that religion. But the one true God… he believed in Him.

I probed further. “Do you believe that Jesus was the Son of God?”

Earl shook his head and added, “Yes”.

“Do you believe that Jesus came to Earth to die for our sins? So that we might live eternally with Him?”

Another emphatic “yes”.

“Do you believe you will go to Heaven when you die?”

With this question, his mood changed. I realized there was no confident “yes” to follow. Questions formed in his eyes and he opened his mouth to speak but nothing was uttered.

So I backtracked… I returned to the previous two questions, elaborating a bit about Jesus coming to Earth to die for our sins, raising to life again, so that we may have life through Him—forever! Earl listened intently. I again asked him if he believed those things. Again, he confirmed that he did. I told him that he could have assurance of his faith in Christ and God’s redeeming love by entering into a relationship with God through grace by faith. Earl wanted that. He wanted the peace of knowing with confidence that he would spend eternity in Heaven.

I told him that he could enter into this relationship with God by prayer.

“I don’t know how to pray,” Earl confessed.

“Do you know how to have a conversation with someone?”

“Yes,” Earl proudly replied.

“Well then you know how to pray!” I declared.

“I talk to God every night,” he shared.

“That’s prayer. Talking to God. Sharing with him about your day, your needs, your love for Him… Earl, do believe that you’re a sinner?”

“Yes.”

Again I repeated the questions I had before about Jesus being God’s son and coming to Earth to die for our sins. Again Earl believed.

“Do you want to follow whatever plans God has for your life?”

“Yes!” Earl’s entire body nodded.

“Would you like to pray to enter into that relationship with God?”

Earl hung his head. “I don’t know what to pray.”

“Would you like for me to pray with you? You can repeat after me.”

Earl agreed. And he repeated after me, not just words, but utterances of faith that I believe have the power to change a life for eternity.

After praying, Earl looked up excitedly, rubbing his chest. “I feel good!”

Indeed, Earl had reason to feel good. He is a child of God, ready and fit for the Kingdom of God because of the saving grace of the blood of Jesus. There’s not a more incredible feeling in the whole world.

I felt pretty good too, not because of anything I did… but because one number was added to God’s Kingdom today. And mostly because I’ll get to see my brother Earl again in Heaven!

Earl had some more questions for me before I left… some things he needed to settle in his heart. Things like his first wife who committed suicide. This subject hitting close to home, I firmly told him what the Bible says and I could see peace and reassurance and hope come back to him.

I offered Earl his first test of faith, “So tomorrow, will you still have confidence that if you were to die you would go to Heaven?”

”Yes!” Earl boldly declared.

“And next week?”

“Yes!”

“And next year?”

“Yes!”

“Good,” I confirmed. “Now as soon as you can, I want you to get your hands on a Bible. Like I said, prayer is you talking to God—uttering your praise and petitions to Him. But guess what? God wants to speak back to you! And one way He does that is through His living Word! The Bible! The Bible contains God’s words for your life!”

Earl agreed that he would find a Bible to read. I told him that if I ever saw him again I would for sure get him one. I’m still kicking myself I didn’t settle with him some way to definitely get him a Bible. Guess I was too excited about my new brother in Christ to think clearly!

I will trust God to take care of Earl. He’s the best Father there is. Meanwhile, I got my own lesson in what it means to feed those who are hungry.

May we all believe in and celebrate the redeeming love of Jesus during the Christmas season and always. I hope this story brought joy to your heart as it did mine. Let it be a reminder that sharing our faith is but a conversation away. And for those struggling to believe, it is my prayer that God reveals His love for you and that you will open your heart to receive it.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9