During our community outreach, I met James, a 29-year-old man who has experienced homelessness since he was only 16 years old. As I spoke with him and completed an assessment, he openly shared some of the painful realities of his life. James told me that he was sleeping near the railroad tracks and engaging in prostitution to survive.
When I asked whether he had any medical conditions, he revealed that he was living with congestive heart failure and kidney disease. His words immediately touched something personal within me. I understood the seriousness of those conditions because I have lived through congestive heart failure, two open-heart surgeries, a heart transplant, kidney disease, and two kidney transplants.
When I shared a portion of my testimony with James, he looked at me with amazement and called me a living miracle. Yet as we continued talking, I strongly discerned that beneath everything he had shared was a tremendous amount of pain. James appeared to feel alone and seemed to need more than supplies—he needed someone to see him, listen to him, and genuinely care.
I asked him, “When was the last time you truly felt that someone cared about you?”
James answered, “Not until this moment, while you were talking to me.”
His response deeply touched my heart.
Throughout much of our conversation, James kept his head down. A couple of times, I gently told him, “Look at me.” The first time, he briefly lifted his eyes. Later, I asked him again to look at me. This time, when our eyes met, tears were streaming down his face.
I reminded James that God had not forgotten him. I told him that God has something better for his life and that his present circumstances do not determine his worth or the ending of his story. When I asked if I could pray with him, he eagerly said yes. We prayed together, and afterward, James asked if he could give me a hug.
Hart To Hart Ministries was able to provide James with a tent and sleeping bag, but what happened that day went far beyond receiving physical supplies. It became a moment of human connection, spiritual encouragement, and hope. James remained with us until the outreach was over and even helped load the remaining supplies back into our vehicle.
As I prepared to leave, James asked me one final question:
“Will you remember me in prayer before you go to bed tonight?”
I assured him that I would.
Meeting James reminded me of the words of Jesus:
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
—Luke 19:10, KJV
Jesus also said:
“They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
—Mark 2:17, KJV
Jesus intentionally drew near to people whom society rejected, judged, or overlooked. As I listened to James, prayed with him, and looked into his tear-filled eyes, I felt especially close to the Lord. I was reminded that compassionate ministry begins when we look beyond a person’s circumstances and recognize the soul standing before us.
James was not invisible that day. He was seen. He was heard. He was embraced. He was prayed for. Most importantly, he was reminded that God has not forgotten him.
That night, just as I promised, I remembered James in prayer.
Hart To Hart Ministries, Inc.
Changing lives, one heart at a time…
