Theologian Ricky

I met a guy named Ricky yesterday. He is a homeless man who lives downtown. My wife and I led a group from our church downtown to bless the poor with bags full of goodies. Socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, Clif bars, and an ice cold bottle of water, among other things, were put in the bags. I handed one to Ricky while he was standing near a street performer. We began talking, and instantly he asked me if I believed in predestination. Ricky started preaching to me, telling me that God loved me and how God looks at a man's heart. It was awesome, one more way that you become blessed when you go downtown to bless the poor and homeless. See, every time I go downtown I go to bless the poor, and I come back to find that God has exposed one more area of brokenness in my own life. The men and women down there end up teaching me more about Christ than I teach them. A lot of these guys are street theologians and have a better grasp on what it means to follow Christ than I do, they live it out every day. Ricky then asked me, "Hey, are you the guy who gave me this bag of stuff?" My heart sunk, and I responded to him that I was, and we practically went through the same conversation over again, with Ricky adding that he was predestined to spread the Word to the "street people." Ricky is a follower of Christ, I know it for sure, even with mental illness, God blesses people through him. I then look at my own self-doubt, and feel foolish when I doubt my own abilities. Then God gently says, but you are nothing if you rely on your own abilities. God uses the weak to teach the strong, people like Ricky show me how prideful I am. Like I have something more to offer God than Ricky does. Looking at Ricky I understand that I can't lean on my own abilities, and better yet, I don't have to.

In Me by
Casting Crowns

if you ask me to leap
out of my boat on the crashing waves
if you ask me to go
preach to the lost world that jesus saves

i'll go, but i cannot go alone
cause i know i'm nothing on my own
but the power of christ in me makes me strong
makes me strong

cause when i'm weak, you make me strong
when i'm blind, you shine your light on me
cause i'll never get by living on my own ability
how refreshing to know you don't need me
so i'll stand on your truth, and i'll fight with your strength
until you bring the victory, by the power of christ in me

if you ask me to run
and carry your light into foreign land
if you ask me to fight
deliver your people from satan's hand

to reach out with your hands
to learn through your eyes
to love with the love of a savior
to feel with your heart
and to think with your mind
i'd give my last breath for your glory