Under the bridge.

Today after church, I joined a few of the other LDPs (college staff members) of Athens Church to deliver extra food and water from the services today to the homeless that live under the bridge.

I'm speechless.

Literally, as I was driving to deliver food, I was thinking about how my car, who I lovingly refer to as "Betsy," is showing her age by sucking up fuel like it's her job.  (AKA my gas mileage is... not so hot.)

I wasn't thinking that as I left the bridge.

Since this is one of our first times delivering food, we merely stopped by, dropped the food off at the table, and handed everyone water bottles.  We introduced ourselves and asked their names as well, shaking their hands as they eyed the food we brought in Dunkin' Donuts bags.  It's quite the set up they have down there.  They've set up cots, tables with all sorts of food, and hung blankets all around.  One of them proudly showed us his collection of sports jerseys.

Even though the encounter lasted no more than five minutes, it was one of those things that just made me stop.  My head stopped spinning with all of the things I had to do.  I stopped thinking about all of my "problems." I instead became thankful that I have felt burdened by decisions about my post-college life.  Because I have a post-college life.  I had a college life. I have options. I live in abundance.

Walking up the path to our cars, we passed two women and a man headed down to the bridge.  The two women stopped to talk to me and another girl, while the man spoke with the guys that had come.  About two minutes into the conversation, of the women asks to pull one of us aside so she can talk to us.  Admittedly, I was fairly wary of her.  I had no idea what she was going to ask me or how I should respond.  I'm almost ashamed of that.  But, I stepped aside with her and asked her what was going on. She told me that the girl with them, who referred to herself as "Sweet Pea," had arrive from Atlanta two days ago.  She was sixteen.

Neither the other woman nor the man who accompanied them knew her story.  They didn't know whether she was a runaway.  Not knowing what to tell them, we advised the two to talk to the police or someone at a homeless shelter or the food kitchen.  Oddly, a police car drove by a few minutes later and stopped, offerring to talk to the three.

We took this as our cue to leave.

And we did. We left. And returned to our daily lives.  I'm answering emails for work, sitting under my fan, in my air conditioned house, about to start studying for the LSAT.

I'm blessed.