On our drive home after Thanksgiving from Albuquerque, NM to Houston, TX my family and I stopped off in Tucumcari, NM at a McDonald's to grab a quick breakfast and hop back on the road. As I was standing in line, my wife Natalie signaled to me and pointed out a woman in order for me to ask her if she wanted something to eat.
This woman had a pair crutches but wasn’t using them. She was extremely skinny, very dirty & grimy as if she hadn’t showered in weeks, wearing a t-shirt (it was cold out) and had a few trash bags with her belongings. It was evident that this woman was homeless. Before I could walk over to her, she went up to the counter with an empty McDonald's coffee cup to ask for a refill. It is likely this cup was given to her by someone so she could get a cup of coffee or she pulled it out of the trash or picked it up off the ground. They refilled it for her. :)
This woman had a pair crutches but wasn’t using them. She was extremely skinny, very dirty & grimy as if she hadn’t showered in weeks, wearing a t-shirt (it was cold out) and had a few trash bags with her belongings. It was evident that this woman was homeless. Before I could walk over to her, she went up to the counter with an empty McDonald's coffee cup to ask for a refill. It is likely this cup was given to her by someone so she could get a cup of coffee or she pulled it out of the trash or picked it up off the ground. They refilled it for her. :)
When the lady sat down again, I approached her. My children and wife watching and listening. I asked the woman if she would like something to eat. She asked me if I was talking about getting something to eat here. I told her
“Yes, off the menu, would you like something to eat?”
She just looked at me. I then asked her
“What do you like?”
She said with a small yell
“What do I like!?”
I said
“Yes, on the menu, what do you like to eat here?”
In a small yell she said
“How about Hell! do you think they have that on the menu!?”
I laughed and said LOL
“I don’t think they serve Hell at McDonald's, but we are in New Mexico, I am sure we can get you some hot green or red chili to make your mouth feel hot as Hell! Lol” (they really do serve that at McDonald's in NM)
She then told me she was not hungry and didn’t want anything.
I told her
“Okay.”
I ordered her a hot breakfast meal anyways. I got the food and brought it over to her and told her
“They made a mistake and gave me an extra meal, I know you not hungry right now but maybe you can save it for later. Do you want it?”
Her eyes lit up and said with a small yell
“Well, I don’t know, I’m not sure I’m going to like it. What is it!?”
I told her
“I don’t know what it is, they just gave it to me on accident. Just look at it later when you are hungry and if you like it, then eat it, if not give it to someone else.”
She said with a small yell
“Well, I guess I can eat it now! I have been known to be a glutton at times!”
“Yes, off the menu, would you like something to eat?”
She just looked at me. I then asked her
“What do you like?”
She said with a small yell
“What do I like!?”
I said
“Yes, on the menu, what do you like to eat here?”
In a small yell she said
“How about Hell! do you think they have that on the menu!?”
I laughed and said LOL
“I don’t think they serve Hell at McDonald's, but we are in New Mexico, I am sure we can get you some hot green or red chili to make your mouth feel hot as Hell! Lol” (they really do serve that at McDonald's in NM)
She then told me she was not hungry and didn’t want anything.
I told her
“Okay.”
I ordered her a hot breakfast meal anyways. I got the food and brought it over to her and told her
“They made a mistake and gave me an extra meal, I know you not hungry right now but maybe you can save it for later. Do you want it?”
Her eyes lit up and said with a small yell
“Well, I don’t know, I’m not sure I’m going to like it. What is it!?”
I told her
“I don’t know what it is, they just gave it to me on accident. Just look at it later when you are hungry and if you like it, then eat it, if not give it to someone else.”
She said with a small yell
“Well, I guess I can eat it now! I have been known to be a glutton at times!”
As my family and I got up, cleaned our area, and walked away we could see her from the window open the bag of McDonald’s and eat her breakfast pretty quickly. It is likely she hadn’t eaten anything in days, especially a hot meal.
I knew my 10-year old daughter Aaliyah was going to have questions in the car. She had questions about what the lady was saying about ordering Hell, why she might be homeless, why the lady told me she wasn’t hungry, and then why the lady asked what kind of food it was and was a picky eater.
The short version of what I told Aaliyah was that a large majority of homeless people are mentally ill. I explained that a mental illness is like any other illness that an organ in your body can get. Brain disease is just like heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and all other diseases. The mind can get sick from a brain disease just like any other organ.
I told her that a lot of Christians and even ministers might label this woman as being demon possessed because she was yelling, was talking about spiritual things, hell, sin, and gluttony all while being homeless. Some people are demon possessed, homeless and non-homeless. I have performed deliverance/exorcisms on both homeless and non-homeless both in the USA and abroad. All people are just people. My gift of discernment can usually pick up on it if there is a demon involved.
I did not senses that this woman’s issue was that she was demon possessed just because she spoke about hell, yelled a little, and spoke about the sin of gluttony while being homeless. However, I do realize that a vast majority of homeless get their help from religious organizations and Christian homeless shelters that preach the gospel and teach biblical truths. If someone is mentally ill and the vast majority of people that this person talks with are from ministry based or Christian places that preach and teach the bible, then these are the ideas and principles that are freshest in mind and newest on the lips of those getting help at those places. She wasn’t homeless, speaking about hell and gluttony, and yelling because she had a demon but because she was mentally ill and been around a lot of preaching. It was very sad that a woman in this situation even had hell and gluttony on her conscious or mind regardless if she was mentally ill or not. The woman needed love & I told that to my daughter.
I told my daughter that the lady said she was not hungry and acted like a picky eater because she still had dignity as a person. Mentally ill or not, demon possessed or not, the woman was trying to act like she was not in need and was holding on to the last bit of dignity she had. At some point in her life, she could eat when, where, and what she wanted. This is not the case right now. Even for people in the hardest of times, it is difficult to face the reality of their situation, especially if they are trapped.
I told my daughter I didn’t preach to her or pray for her there because she simply was hungry and I realized I had to tell her that McDonald’s gave me an extra meal on accident for her to accept the help. She has been preached to a lot and has been prayed for, she needed something to eat. I then prayed for the next few hours on the road under my breath for this woman. She was heavy on my heart. She was someone's daughter.
A few days later my wife and I received a package in the mail from some new friends of ours that are battling cancer. We opened our home to them months ago as strangers during an out of state hospital visit in Houston’s world-class Medical District. They sent these gifts to us because we opened our home to them as strangers, however the timing was divine. The gift arrived just days after meeting the homeless lady at McDonald's right after Thanksgiving in Tucumcari, NM.
Matthew 25:36-40
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,you did it to me.’
I knew my 10-year old daughter Aaliyah was going to have questions in the car. She had questions about what the lady was saying about ordering Hell, why she might be homeless, why the lady told me she wasn’t hungry, and then why the lady asked what kind of food it was and was a picky eater.
The short version of what I told Aaliyah was that a large majority of homeless people are mentally ill. I explained that a mental illness is like any other illness that an organ in your body can get. Brain disease is just like heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and all other diseases. The mind can get sick from a brain disease just like any other organ.
I told her that a lot of Christians and even ministers might label this woman as being demon possessed because she was yelling, was talking about spiritual things, hell, sin, and gluttony all while being homeless. Some people are demon possessed, homeless and non-homeless. I have performed deliverance/exorcisms on both homeless and non-homeless both in the USA and abroad. All people are just people. My gift of discernment can usually pick up on it if there is a demon involved.
I did not senses that this woman’s issue was that she was demon possessed just because she spoke about hell, yelled a little, and spoke about the sin of gluttony while being homeless. However, I do realize that a vast majority of homeless get their help from religious organizations and Christian homeless shelters that preach the gospel and teach biblical truths. If someone is mentally ill and the vast majority of people that this person talks with are from ministry based or Christian places that preach and teach the bible, then these are the ideas and principles that are freshest in mind and newest on the lips of those getting help at those places. She wasn’t homeless, speaking about hell and gluttony, and yelling because she had a demon but because she was mentally ill and been around a lot of preaching. It was very sad that a woman in this situation even had hell and gluttony on her conscious or mind regardless if she was mentally ill or not. The woman needed love & I told that to my daughter.
I told my daughter that the lady said she was not hungry and acted like a picky eater because she still had dignity as a person. Mentally ill or not, demon possessed or not, the woman was trying to act like she was not in need and was holding on to the last bit of dignity she had. At some point in her life, she could eat when, where, and what she wanted. This is not the case right now. Even for people in the hardest of times, it is difficult to face the reality of their situation, especially if they are trapped.
I told my daughter I didn’t preach to her or pray for her there because she simply was hungry and I realized I had to tell her that McDonald’s gave me an extra meal on accident for her to accept the help. She has been preached to a lot and has been prayed for, she needed something to eat. I then prayed for the next few hours on the road under my breath for this woman. She was heavy on my heart. She was someone's daughter.
A few days later my wife and I received a package in the mail from some new friends of ours that are battling cancer. We opened our home to them months ago as strangers during an out of state hospital visit in Houston’s world-class Medical District. They sent these gifts to us because we opened our home to them as strangers, however the timing was divine. The gift arrived just days after meeting the homeless lady at McDonald's right after Thanksgiving in Tucumcari, NM.
Matthew 25:36-40
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,you did it to me.’
