The Invisible People
By Deborah Lynnette Baker
©10/25/2019
Not wanting to stare or make eye contact, we instinctively overt our gaze, maybe even subconsciously roll our eyes a little, when we see the person on the corner holding a sign “Hungry, anything will help” or “will work for food”. 
Perhaps we even think “Now I’ll need to put away my laptop & secure my personal items if I need to use the restroom,” when they walk into a coffee shop & sit near us. Maybe, we’ve even thought something like, “why don’t they just get a job?!” We’ve all done it! I must admit, I’ve even subconsciously found myself averting my gaze when I see someone who appears to me to be one of “The Invisible People”. But recently, through some situations of my own, I’ve begun to see more of “The Invisible People” we all too often try to avoid.
I’ve seen them on the street corner with a sign, parked in cars in empty parking lots, the seat next to me in the coffee shop, walking through the parking lots seemingly going nowhere. I’ve even seen them in the most unlikely places at church, in classes, & home groups, etc. Have you seen them? Do you know who’s sitting next to you at church, in class, or home group with you? Do you know who’s sitting next to you at the Dr’s office, the grocery store, the motel room next door, or other places you wouldn’t expect?
What’s our story?
Maybe, they lost their home in a fire & are struggling to rebuild their life after loosing everything they had. 
Maybe, they became ill & lost their home because the medical bills caused them to go bankrupt. Maybe, they lost a spouse suddenly & the trauma, left them so broken they began hoarding things & can no longer safely live in their own home. Maybe, they suddenly had a landlord decide not to renew their lease & haven’t been able to find a new place to live. 
Maybe, they were kidnapped & forced to prostitute themselves just to stay alive. Maybe, they ran away from home because they were being molested by someone in their life & felt safer on the streets than in their own home. 
Maybe, they were being stalked or harassed by someone, & no longer felt safe in their home. Maybe, they went to war & came home dramatically changed in ways that made it difficult for them to function normally & caused them to lose everything. Maybe, they had to flea an abusive partner, & had no one to help them find a safe place. Maybe, they made some poor choices 
in their lives that have continued to affect them even though they are no longer the person they were when they made those choices.
Why?
Why is it so repulsive to us? I would venture to say, it’s because we are in small ways passing judgement on them. Maybe we even think, NHI. What, you ask is NHI? It’s a term all too often used to refer to someone who has a substance abuse problem, is Mentally ill, a prostituted person, or is just homeless in general! It means No Humans Involved. Sadly, it’s all too often used by law enforcement, fire & rescue personnel, even Dr’s & nurses have been known to use the term to refer to “The Invisible People” when one is the victim of a crime (raped, robbed, assaulted, or murdered).
I wonder in those moments, have we ever once stopped to think, “we could potentially find ourselves in the same place as “The Invisible people” before passing judgement on them?” The quote “therefore but for the grace of God go I” comes to mind when I think about how I’ve subconsciously had a less than Christ like reactions to “The Invisible People” in the past! I wonder though, how many times as Christians we’ve reacted in this way instead of asking Holy Spirit to guide us in being a blessing to the ones who are struggling in life. How often have we stopped to ask, “The Invisible People” “what happened for you to be in the situation you’re in?”
How God See’s Us?
No matter what anyone else says, “We are Seen”! We are Not, “NHI’s”, We are dearly beloved children of God! He has great things for each one of us!
Psalm 51:16-17 TPT 16 “For the source of your pleasure is not in my performance or the sacrifices I might offer to you. 17 The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet.”
Jeremiah 29:11-12 AMPC 11 “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. 12 Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.”
These are just a couple of passages that show us just how Loved by God we are, & how no matter what the current situation looks like we are His & He has amazing things planned for us! We are No Longer “The Invisible People”! We are No Longer Orphans, we are Blood Bought, Sons & Daughters of the Most High God! We are Royal Heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven! We are a Royal Priesthood! The enemy has No hold over your life except for what we allow him to have! Time to rise up & take our rightful place next to Jesus! Time to declare the things He says over our lives & to stop believing the Lies of the enemy! Time to say “Enough is Enough” & to stop allowing the storms of life to keep us battered about by the winds & waves only seeing small victories & never fully coming out the other side of the storms the enemy throws at us! It’s time to say NO MORE will I allow the enemy a foot hold in my life! I have the Victory, because Jesus won the battle over 2000 years ago, when He defeated Death & ascended to Heaven!
Our Voice
There are so many different variations to the stories of “The Invisible People”. To the rest of the world, we may be the ones who society looks down on, subconsciously passes judgement on, & who are seen as, “The Invisible People”, but God sees us! To Him we are His most precious gems & His deeply beloved! We are His Sons, & Daughters, we are Not forgotten, Invisible, & overlooked! We are the ones He chose to mingle with when He was here on earth. We will be the ones who are seated 1st at the banquet table. He deeply Loves & cherishes each one. We are Not Forgotten!
Yes, I said We & Us, in portions of this blog; as I’m among the one’s society deems as “the invisible people”, but I have something a lot don’t! Jesus, & an understanding of who I am & whose I am. 
It doesn’t matter to me what other people think of me or my situation, I know what God is doing in my life in ways that can’t be measured in the natural!
In the end I must walk in Faith, peace, & Love, fully trusting in what God is doing & that His plans are perfect no matter what they look like in the natural! I’m one of the few people you will meet who is not embarrassed, or ashamed to say, “I’m homeless.” But I also know God is working behind the scenes to give me a home, where I can do all the things He’s created me to do, & where I can fulfill the dreams He’s planted in my heart! I also know my current situation is not my identity or my future, & God has something much better for me than what the enemy has been doing in my life to prevent me from doing what God has called me to do!
Call to Action
Next time we hear a story of someone who is struggling or jump to conclusions about the person on the corner holding a sign, lets stop for a moment put ourselves in their shoes & ask ourselves how would we want to be treated if we were that person! Sometimes a kind word, a hot meal, or a safe place to sleep without judgement is what the person needs! Sometimes it’s stable affordable housing so the little income they receive from disability or their job isn’t all gone before the month even gets started. If we take the time to find out how we can help, instead of assuming they are living on the streets, their vehicle (if they have one) or hotel rooms by choice, we could make a big difference in the lives of those who are struggling to have what they need on a day by day basis!
This is phenomenal! I love this and it’s beautifully written.
Thank you! It’s interesting to see what comes out when you write with Holy Spirit & allow Him to inspire your words.