Footsteps To Freedom

I have to be at work very early in the morning. I used to have a problem with that because I was never a
morning person. But after so many years in the field, I have adapted. I get on the parking lot and some
of the clients are already there. I am grateful for my calling because it affords me to do what God called
me to do.
I arrive at my work site today. It’s early. I am preparing for my day. At 5:35 a.m. I receive a knock on my
door. I know this is strange because clients are supposed to check in at the front desk and ask to see me
but I ask the client to come in.
I see the young lady who I saw last week. We greet one another and I offer her to sit down. She speaks
barely above a whisper. “Ms. V, I know I don’t meet the criteria for a bag of food, but if you could give
me one, I would appreciate it”. I ask her how she is doing. She says’, “I’m ok”. I ask, “When was the last
time you ate anything?” “Two days ago”, she says, and suddenly drops her head.
My protocol for a bag of food is to remain abstinent or attend a group to show you are willing to work
on your recovery process. But sometimes, I make concessions for those who are truly in need. I check
her urine drug screens and she in fact has tested unfavorable. I do not mention this because I am sure
she already knows, and I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.
I inform her I am going to give her a bag of food. She thanks me. I inquire where she stayed over the
weekend because on last we spoke, she told me that she was struggling to find somewhere to go since
being evicted. She says, “I slept across the street from Eastpoint Mall.” I smile and say “good, I am glad
someone was nice enough to let you stay for the weekend”. She smiles and says’ “No Ms. V, I slept
across the street on the bench by the bus stop. I slept out in the rain with my dog”. I ask why she did not
try and get into the shelter. She smiles “I can’t take my dog, and I can’t leave him out there all alone. I
have to take care of him and make sure he eats and is not alone”.
WOW! I let that resonate in my spirit. Here we have a young lady who is homeless, living on a bus stop
bench in the rain, but refuses to go to shelter so not to leave her dog out on the street alone!. That
literally brought tears to my eyes. Here you have a young lady who has nothing material to give, but
gives her whole heart to her dog, even if she has to sleep in the rain.
As I look a little closer at her, I realize her clothing appears wet. I ask, “Are your clothes wet”? She says,
“I told you I slept outside. It rained last night”. I immediately tell her to follow me.
She looks fearful. “Am I in trouble Ms. V? I’m sorry”. I turn to look at and her eyes are glistened with
tears, threatening to fall. I tell her “No sweetie, I just want to give you something in private”.
We walk to the clothes closet and food pantry. I hand her the food bag and start to sift through all the
clothes, silently praying that I find clothing that can fit her small frame. And God answers. We found
clothing for today and tomorrow. I instruct her to go to the rest room and change out of those wet
clothes and into the dry ones. She is excited. “Ms. V, they’re Levi’s!” I smile and let know I would not
give her anything that I would not wear myself. “I’ll bring them back as soon as I can find somebody to
wash them for me”. I tell her, those are hers to keep and so are the other outfits. I inquire about her

shoe size and she says “I wear a five but it’s ok if you don’t have any, I can wear these until they dry”. I
tell her to slip them in the bag with the wet clothing and hand her a pair of tennis shoes, size five. (God
is so awesome!!) She smiles, “Under Armor?!” I can’t keep these, they’re new”. I smile and tell her,
they’re yours. Enjoy them.
She rushes to the restroom to change. I take her hoodie and place it on the heater in my office so that it
can get dry while she is waiting for her cab to come.
She returns to my office all clean and dry with her new shoes on her feet. She says “Oh my goodness,
this feels good. I’m not cold anymore, and my feet feel so much better, I didn’t realize the shoes I was
wearing are too small, until put these on.”.
After a while, I give her the hoodie back, it is warm from the heater. She thanks me and leaves.
When I tell people to count their blessings, and not complain. I am speaking to myself as well. I was just
talking to my nephew about my basement being unfinished and needing to be completed. But it doesn’t
matter so much because I have a roof over my head.
We at some point in our lives must understand that our calling in our lives are not necessarily things we
choose. I am asked a lot in my craft why won’t I return to school for my Masters, or don’t you
want to be a Lead counselor or work in another field. I even hear I don’t have enough letters at the
end of my name. I don’t worry about those people or what they say. I care about my people and what I
am called to do for them. And it may not seem like a lot to others
but it means a lot to me, to hand a young lady a pair of shoes and dry clothing.
I don’t need a thousand degrees or a title to be what God called me to do. All I need is His anointing over
my life and discernment to be able to hear from Him. My teachings are not from professors but from the
Profound One who sits high and looks low. My compassion comes from the Man who gave the entire
world compassion when He died on the cross for them. My status is from a Savior that loved me enough
to give of the Ghost.
I don’t need a lot. I don’t have a lot, but I am rich beyond measure because I have everything I need.
At some point in this journey, people are going to have to stop thinking about status and keeping up and
learn to be grateful for what they have. I don’t have much, but I didn’t wake up on a bus stop bench. I
don’t wear designer clothes but I have dry shoes on my feet. I can’t afford labels but my clothes are dry
and sufficient. I don’t eat steak and go to restaurants daily to eat, but I have a good meal and a full
stomach. Those are the things people take for granted. Those are the things that this young lady
appreciated.
Learn to be grateful and stop complaining about not having any shoes, “when there are people out here
with no feet.”