“….Only company he keeps is the dirt caked in his hands,

Cracked shoes held together by a rubber band,

His worth shows in his eyes,

Cast down to the ground, beaten down by lies,

he’s made beautiful”.

The above words went through my head as lyrics on the subway the other day, when I spotted a homeless man on the train. Surrounded by dirty blankets on the subway floor, filthy, with rubber bands holding his shoes together, he sat alone. His mere presence seemed enough to repel most other passengers, and the ones who were forced to share his car sat as far from him as possible.

And it struck me that this man was also made beautiful. To this day he has a Savior walking right next to him, loving him and weeping for him. He was loved so much that Jesus brought him into this world in the first place, and His perfect love hasn’t waned a bit. I wonder if this man knows that. Probably not. But either way, my heart broke for him. Broke to see someone beloved by the King of kings reduced to worthlessness here on earth.

And before I knew it, I was singing. Just an improvised song, and incomplete, but it still had verses and a chorus and a tune. And I sang it in the middle of the subway (softly). I meant to just process it all but suddenly there was a song coming out of my mouth.

And suddenly it hit me. The only difference between me and that man – so beaten down and made worthless by the world – is that I had more people in my life who followed their God-given calling when it came to me. I mean, that’s really the only barrier. I didn’t always know Jesus, His love for me, or my worth in Him. I was lost, and wandering, and an emotional wreck. I was saved. I wonder how this man started out, how he played as a child, who his friends were. I wonder if his parents showed him unconditional love, if there was anyone there to pray for his every milestone. I wonder how he got from being carried in the womb to being the ‘dregs’ of society. I wonder if anyone will ever save him.

Most of all I wonder if anyone ever saw him as he truly is – made beautiful.

I implore you all to reach out to the ‘least of these’. The world would have you walk by. But Jesus is beside them too, asking all who walk by to embrace them. Be the one who listens. Pray with them. Love on them. Show them the love that created them, and the beauty they were made with.

God bless!

~Rebekah A