Beautiful and Precious

There is possibly nothing more humbling than looking into the eyes of a weeping homeless person, finding them speechless and thankful for an amount of money that I can see come and go from my account without the slightest twitch.

Such is the case I experienced yesterday while downtown. I was taking photos for a business when I parked and walked. I saw them on the way there. They barely looked up when I passed, yet I noticed their cardboard sign, dirty faces and long, overgrown fingernails. I looked into my wallet and all I had was a $1 bill. Not much, I thought, but it's all I have. And when they reached out their hands to accept, that is exactly what I told them. "This is all I have."

I gave it to them and they expressed sincere appreciation for being given something without even asking. I went on to take my photos, but their faces kept flashing in my mind. Moreso, the resonance of my ignorant gift of "all I have" was eating me alive like a ravenous snake. It's not all I had. Sure, it was all I had on hand, but it's not all I had to give. It never is.

When I left the photo shoot, I hurried to the closest ATM as fast as I could and pulled out a quick $20. I was excited to take it to them, but not more than I was to sit for a bit and talk to them and tell them what God was laying on my heart: "You are beautiful and precious in the eyes of God. Please don't ever doubt that." And that's' exactly what I told them both. Their surprise for the "large" gift didn't overshadow the words I believe they were begging to hear. They are precious and valuable and loved......

I pray to God I see both of them again someday soon. Until then, I asked if I could take their photos for a reminder to myself to pray for them and remember. As a photographer, I don't just seek to capture images, I want to capture special moments. After wiping tears, I was able to capture what is one of my favorite photos that I've ever taken. The beautiful and precious Judy and Shane.