by Pam Tinsley

Earlier this month, my hairstylist Ron and I were talking about our respective Thanksgiving Days. I spoke about being together with family, and Ron said that he had decided to help serve meals at the Rescue Mission. That’s where he happened to run into a homeless man who sometimes works with Ron to transform a local high school gym into the church where Ron and about 600 others worship each Sunday.

After most of the meals were served, Ron joined some of the men at a table and talked with them. As people were leaving, Ron asked his friend if he would help him put up the Christmas tree in his salon. Ron said his eyes lit up. Ron appreciated both the help and the company, and his homeless friend appreciated being valued.

They speak honestly – including about how the man became homeless – and Ron is clear about boundaries when the man works in his yard or at church. The man has asked Ron to help him learn to hold on to some of the money he earns from odd jobs, and Ron has found a “money counseling” class they’ll attend together in the hope that his friend might live into his dream of steady work and having a roof over his head.

Yet, more importantly, Ron offers respect and community. Because Ron listens and sees him for who he is, a beloved child of God, this man experiences a bit of love in the midst of a cold world that would prefer that he “simply went away.” And, while not all of us can offer someone occasional work or can volunteer at a homeless shelter, we can pay attention and listen to everyone we meet and treat them with dignity and respect. We can treat them as God’s beloved children and perhaps bless them with a touch of hope, if only for a brief moment.