She sat legs-crossed on the cold, wet leaves and dirt. The corners of her mouth twitched nervously while she spoke in a soft, barely audible voice. "Yes, I'll eat another pancake," was her response to my offer. A small syrup stain was visible on her oversized coat from her first plate. Quietly the second pancake was eaten, while my eyes scanned the area watching some thirty other homeless do the same.

It's Monday morning at Golden Gate Park. The team and I are serving our now infamous pancakes. As soon as our homeless friends see us coming up the pathway, you can hear them saying, “The pancake people are here!” with a certain expectation in their voices. It brings a little warmth to your heart to know that someone is happy to see you.

My eyes returned to the woman sitting next to me. “Kym,” I said “do you want me to put your new toothbrush back by your bags?” “Ok," she replied, her eyes struggling to stay open as she began to slump forward in her lap. Matted clumps of hair now covered her face. I stood up, put her bags a few feet away and looked back down at Kym. She was already asleep. With clothes in disarray and one shoe barely clinging on to her foot, she managed to drift off in seconds.

A soft drizzle began to fall as I turned to my team mate and asked him if he was ready to leave as we were finished cooking for everyone. We packed our spatulas, pans, plastic forks and camping stove to prepare for the walk home. Home??? When was the last time Kym walked home?

The Lord continues to move in powerful ways in my life and those around me. I did not share this excerpt from my journal with you to make you feel guilty about your life, only to let you know a small fragment of the life of those who seem to go unnoticed by most. Please pray that our Father in heaven will continue to break our hearts with his amazing truths. May we never cease to wash the feet of Jesus with our tears.

Mike Browne
loves hardcore music
needs more tattoos
fears not being accepted