Downtown Charlotte North Carolina, Sunday March 3
On Sunday morning, you might be rushing around to make it to church or visiting family at their church. You probably have some of your "Sunday best" on with maybe some new shoes and a nice shirt or pair of pants. You also might be working or have barriers to attending church: unbelief, bad weather, being under the weather, or even transportation barriers or even homelessness. Sundays are a good indicator of who you are and where you are at in your life.
Last Sunday in downtown Charlotte, a man was going through a lot. He was cold, tired, hungry, and he had just lost everything he had in the world. He didn't even have shoes on his feet. Why? Because he had been sleeping outside and while he was sleeping, he was robbed. His shoes, sleeping bag, and tent. He was so angry. He arrived at a downtown Charlotte outreach for a large church that supports Sole 2 Soul and other ministries to be the hands and feet of Jesus in North Carolina and throughout the world.
The man was so broken and angry he arrived at the ministry and screaming at everyone there that wanted to help him.
The leadership member supervising that Sunday finally was able to speak to the man and calm him down enough to see what his immediate needs were. The man bravely shared that he was homeless and the only belongings, even the size 12 shoes on his feet, were taken from him. The supervisor went to the back where some Sole 2 Soul shoes had been donated in the previous weeks.
There was one pair of shoes... size 12.
Some would say that the man in desperate need of shoes had some kind of great stroke of luck. Sole 2 Soul and the partnering church think though that this was God showing up big time in such a small way. This man's biggest physical need was warmth and protection of the soles of his feet, but he also needed ears to hear, a heart to understand, and some rest for his weary soul.
When the shoes were given to him, he began to cry. The leadership of the mission told the man, "this is a reminder that God loves YOU and hasn't forgotten about YOU."
The partnering mission thanked Sole 2 Soul for helping them to provide what might have been the only Gospel that the man might have received that Sunday.
You can help this church and other partners of Sole 2 Soul working to provide shoes. You can host a shoe drive, give to the mission, and pray for the mission.
This is why Sole 2 Soul does what they do, to be the hands and feet of Jesus (1 Corinthians).
