What difference do it make?

I received a book for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers (if you read my book blog, you'll have read my review already). It's the follow up book to one called Same Kind of Different as Me, which I haven't read, but plan to. You can read more about what the book is about here.

I felt like this book was talking directly to me--like I just got a good smack upside the head from God to get my attention. I needed it! Here are a few good quotes from the book:

After talking about how some people go out and serve the homeless on Thanksgiving or Christmas, one of the authors (a former homeless man) says this:
"I ain't got no way to read the mind a' God, but I 'xpect part a' His business is makin it Christmas for somebody ever day. If all the Christians--I mean all of 'em-- got outta the pews on Sunday and into the streets, we'd shut the city down.
We'd shut down hunger.
We'd shut down loneliness.
We'd shut down the notion that there is any such of a thing as a person that don't deserve a kind word and a second chance."

"A lotta homeless folks has been hurt and abused since we was little bitty. At one time or another we loved or was loved by somebody. We had hope. We believed. Then hope flew out the door, and everything we had was gone. For a lot of us there come a time when nobody was willin to take us in. Nobody was willin to help in no kinda way. All the doors was slammed in our faces, and next thing you know, we just sittin on the curb with everbody passin us by, won't even look at us.
Even though you is still a human bein inside, even though you mighta been a little boy once with a mama, even though you mighta been married once with a house and a job, now you ain't nothin. And once that happens, people rather come up and pet a stray dog than even say hello."

This book seriously broke my heart. But I think that's a good thing. I think God's heart is broken over all of the poverty, the hurt, the people in need. I want my heart to be broken over the things that break God's heart.

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
(from Hosanna by Hillsong United)