"Just Take a Step..."

When I first moved to Nashville in 2018, I was a “wee baby freshman” in college at Trevecca Nazarene University. During my first weekend in Nash, my suitemate invited me to accompany her at a free outdoor concert! Eager to make new friends, I went. It was a fun time, but what I wasn’t prepared to encounter were countless unhoused neighbors sitting on the sides of the streets. Everywhere I looked, I spotted a neighbor in need, and yet, HERDS OF PEOPLE were passing neighbors by- over and over and over again. As a young adult, vaguely familiar with the housing crisis, I had not seen anything like this…My heart sank and I felt helpless as I asked myself: “Does anyone see them?” “Why aren’t we stopping?” “Do they need help?” It felt as if everything around me was moving in slow motion as I anxiously looked around, searching for someone to help. Though I was overwhelmed with confusion and sorrow, I kept walking. I didn’t stop either... I just followed the crowd and continued going where I “needed to be”.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 ESV

Four years later, I still hardly knew where to begin to show up for my neighbors. I’d occasionally wave to a person standing on the street corner with a sign, hand someone a granola bar, or volunteer at a campus service event, but for every one time I paused to see someone, there were innumerable times when I did nothing. Not because I didn’t care. Simply because I lacked information on how to show up. In case you’ve ever felt this way, or currently feel this way, this blog post is for you. And I hope you leave this page encouraged and equipped to support a neighbor in at least one way.

I had the privilege of doing 3 years of full-time volunteer service through a government program, and it exposed me to a lot of really amazing non-profits. In this time, I learned so much about the depth of the housing crisis, the layers of mental and physical limitations that many experience, the power of community in coming and staying out of homelessness, and the expansive amount of resources it takes to alleviate poverty. This experience also revealed some unloving biases I held in my heart. One thing I hadn’t previously considered was how hard it would be for someone to get a job if they don’t have a home address, phone number, driver’s license, or birth certificate to obtain a license. And even if they did have that, there’s a chance that a person living on the streets is at a high-risk of having their phone or identity documents being stolen from them. There's so much I didn't (and still don't) know. I praise God for the grace to grow, learn, and live to love better. 

Two opportunities I’d love to highlight today are:

• People Loving Nashville’s Monday Night Street Outreach 

• Harvest Sound Church’s Meal of Hope

Both of these outreaches have shaped the woman I am today, and have my hands, feet, and heart a little more like Jesus’. 

I discovered People Loving Nashville (PLN) on a seemingly ordinary workday in the fall of 2022. One of my coworkers invited me to the “Hopefulness Documentary” (<-- linked) premiere to hear and celebrate the wonderful work that PLN does. I attended the event and the Lord absolutely gripped my heart. I was reminded of that night on Broadway back in 2018, when I walked past so many of my neighbors. In that moment, a wave of compassion washed over me that I could not shake… I had to get involved somehow! I didn’t have a car at the time, and I honestly didn’t know where to begin, but love moved me to start a conversation. I approached one of the PLN leaders, Ryan. Teary eyed, I I shared my thoughts about the documentary, how I was feeling about getting involved, as well as the perceived limitations I had. Very simply, and very kindly, he encouraged me with these words… “just take a step”. He prayed with me, and I left that theater changed. Wow… is it really that simple? All I have to do is take a step? It truly was, and still is. 

Every now and then I find myself in a situation where I feel like I have to have all the pieces together or everything planned and figured out before I can take a step forward. But the older I get and the more I’m graced to experience, the Lord teaches me that if I trust Him with a little bit, and walk with Him in faith, he will work things out so much better than I ever could. So for a while I only showed up to Monday Nights when it was a Trevecca sponsored event (because it provided transportation) or when I knew of a friend who was also going. But soon enough, I had my own car, and I was able to go almost every week…and Monday nights were my sweetest evenings of 2023. My capacity has changed a little bit over the years, but I love to show up and participate when I’m able. 

PLN’s Monday Nights are like a weekly community cookout- friends fill one street block in downtown Nashville for a few hours to build community and receive amazing resources. There are teams for prayer, community engagement, clothing, serving food + drinks, cleanup, kitchen prep teams, and so much more! If you’re wanting to get involved, I recommend this opportunity to almost everyone who asks where to start.

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”” Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

The second opportunity I’d like to highlight is Meal of Hope, hosted by Harvest Sound Church. This is a weekly community meal for the inner-city and unhoused community in Nashville where we serve a hot meal, hear live music, share a mini sermon + the Gospel. Week after week, we pray, laugh, cry, and talk with the people who join us. We get to sit down at a table with someone we might not have otherwise known. We learn names + faces, and we get to be present with people in their lowest lows, and highest highs. This is not exclusive to our outreach. If you walk alongside people long enough anywhere, you will get to experience this. But what I love about having found Meal of Hope after I had been serving with PLN, is that I had a couple of friends that I already knew, and Meal of Hope has provided opportunities to connect with them in a quieter environment as I learn more about their stories. 

One sweet friendship I’ve gained through People Loving Nashville and have continued at Meal of Hope is with my friend Bubba. I met him on a Monday Night in 2023 and saw him signing American Sign Language (ASL) with someone. Having taken two classes at Trevecca, I wasn’t by any means fluent (and still am not LOL) but I knew I wanted to try to introduce myself. He was so kind and has taught me so much since then. Almost 4 years later, we’ve laughed, prayed, walked, and talked with each other more times than I can count, and Bubba has stretched my ability to communicate in ASL. He’s met at least one of my sisters, and always asks about how my family is doing. He’s even given me the opportunity to practice praying and sharing the Gospel in ASL. I still have a lot of room to grow, but I’m super honored to have met this friend and its so cool to see how one conversation can develop into such a sweet friendship.

Proverbs 19:17 ESV

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

So, why does it matter that we notice the people around us that other might walk past? 

What in the world does being a faithful steward of the moment have to do with serving the inner-city/unhoused community? 

Simply put, it matters because this is what God cares about, and every person deserves love and dignity. People are not merely characterized by their circumstances. They have innate worth, and honoring them matters. There are multiple Scriptures about caring for the poor… I will share a few below, but I encourage you to discover more!

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9 ESV

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV

““Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:6-8 ESV (see full chapter)

In Matthew 25:31-46 (main passage for today's post), there’s a parable about the Lord’s response, at the end of the age, to those who did AND did not care about what we have or have not done to the people the world considers the “least” among us...the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned...Just because the world considers people the least, it doesn’t mean that we should do the same. This passage literally says, what we did to the “least of these”, we did to Jesus… I don’t want to mistreat Jesus, nor my neighbor. To take it a step further, if I needed clothing, food, was sick, or in prison, I’d want to know somebody cared about me. I’d HAVE to have support beyond myself. I’d NEED to know that hope was still alive and life was worth living. By God’s grace, we have the opportunity to make that truth known to someone today.

I recognize I mostly talked about positives in this blog post. There are some really heavy moments in walking with people experiencing homelessness and like anything else, it is important to use wisdom and discretion in how you get involved. It’s not wise to go into camps alone- especially without relational credibility, there are people who have severe mental health issues and struggle with addiction, and the streets can be a very violent place. But the streets can also be a place of redemption, and immense hope. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (see John 1:5). The negative does not override the positive, every person is not battling addiction, and there are resources and tools to help you navigate these situations. If you’d like to know more about this, please connect with me individually!

None of this is shared to highlight how much good I have done, but it IS shared to highlight how much the Lord can do when you give Him your “yes”. We all start somewhere. God completely changed the way that I relate to my neighbors and it is by grace, through faith in Jesus that I have this testimony. I ask different questions, stop to notice people more often,  and now I’m aware of something small that I can do to love my neighbor as myself- I can show up for others.

Today, I want to encourage you to ask the Lord how He is inviting you to care for the poor in your midst. It doesn’t have to look exactly like it does for me or anyone else. It doesn’t have to be weekly, it doesn’t even have to be monthly… You are uniquely wired to love and serve in a way and place that only you can. So take a step, and trust the Lord to guide your feet as you continue to walk with Him in this.

With that in mind, how will you faithfully steward the moment?

Looking for ways to get involved in your area?

Visit a local United Way or non-profit website to browse opportunities that fit your schedule and interest! If you’re in Nashville, I’d love for you to join me on a Monday night for PLN’s Street Outreach, or a Thursday night for Harvest Sound's Meal of Hope. 

Small steps to help you get started:

• Ask for someone’s name and offer to pray for them. Remember their name and continue to pray for them.

• Ask the Lord to give you His heart for the most vulnerable communities in your area. Look for Scriptures that align with this. 

• Find a local outreach to be part of, and jump in!

• Make eye contact and smile at an unhoused neighbor on a street corner.

• Carry mini care package items in your car that you can hand to people when you encounter them. Get creative with this and adjust it when weather changes! It is so much easier to give when you prepare in advance. Ex. Waterproof bag; water bottles; healthy snacks; prayer or encouragement card; deodorant, wipes, resource cards + more!

• Take one step towards (not away from) someone experiencing homelessness.

Forever cheering you on in love,

Carolyn Johnson

I'm loving serving as a full-time missionary in Nashville, Tennessee, but to continue, I need prayer and financial support! If you'd like to discover ways to support this mission spiritually or financially, you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter for updates and encouragements, and/or click here to partner in financial support!