Paying Attention
Every spring brings at least one vanload of college students streaming in to Denver. Each student brings enthusiasm and energy that always gives our staff a boost. We let all this energy helps us do some needed spring-cleaning, and of course love on the kids’ downtown. The beginning of the week was washday. Three girls and I loaded up about 30 blankets and headed off to the laundry mat. We waited and talked about the rest of the week as the blankets tumbled.
As we talked an older woman asked us about the work we did.
She had heard our discussion about the homeless youth and wanted more information. The girls were so excited to share with her about Dry Bones and God’s work downtown. I watched as the woman listened and soaked up everything the girls were saying. She thanked the girls and took her clothes out of the dryer. In just a few minutes, our new friend returned and this time she did the talking and we listened. She encouraged the girls to pay attention this week.
She told about her days being homeless in the downtown park and the struggles she had gone through. She remembered the group that had reached their hand out to help and the day she took it. Her words spoke directly to the heart as she repeated the need to pay attention. “Many people walk downtown every day and do not even see the hurting people there,” she said. “In plain sight but invisible at the same time,” were her final words. With these words, she gathered her laundry basket and left.
I watched these girls during the week and noticed several times they were sitting off to the side just watching. During one of our reflection, times I heard one of them tell of some graffiti she saw that said, “out of sight out of mind” to which she countered “what is worse is being in plain sight but invisible at the same time.”
Are you paying attention this week?
Comments
I am always "trying" to pay attention...but I always feel like I am missing out on something. Today I constantly wonder just how much I was missing out on when I wasn't even "trying"...
Posted by: El Sam I Am | March 19, 2006 02:36 PM
You know that sometimes it doesn't even matter "out of sight out of mind" we choose so many times to look the other way. Sometimes it's just because that person doensn't look like me or act like me. And all i will do is shake my head in shame as if no one has ever done that to me. Thanks Robbie something for me to REALLY think about.
Posted by: tierabirdy | March 19, 2006 04:48 PM