Have You Ever Cried Over A Pair Of Socks? A Reflection In Ministry

I’ve never cried over a pair of socks. I’ve never even seen someone cry over a pair of socks. That all changed on Monday night though when a woman named Vicky showed up in an East Nashville parking lot for burritos.

I didn’t quite know what to say when she looked up at me with big tears in the corners of her eyes. I’d just asked her if she needed a pair of socks because we were giving them away, too. That’s when she dropped her head and nodded. Soon after came the tears only to be accompanied by a slew of thank yous. I didn’t know how to react so I just handed them to her and said “You’re welcome” and hoped that was enough. What do you say to someone who has so little that a pair of white athletic socks makes that kind of impact?

I asked her a few minutes later if I could get a picture with her because I needed to keep this moment. I needed to hold on to it. I’m not sure why but I think it has to do with reminding myself that what Christians do for others matters.

So many times in the Burrito Ministry I wonder if we’re doing enough. Could we be doing more? Are we just coasting along? I mean I know that people get a good meal and we’ve built relationships and all that. As Monday nights sort of become habit though, I wonder if what we’re doing really makes a difference in people’s lives. Vicky’s tears erased my fears and instead motivated me. I realized how vital it is that we Christians show people that we do indeed care about them.

See, it’s not just the socks that got Vicky crying. I know it’s more than that. It’s that people cared enough to give her a pair of socks that struck Vicky. She didn’t tell me that but I know it. So many times in life, she’s been passed by and mocked and sneered at, but this time people told her they cared enough for her to make sure she had clean, comfortable socks, something the rest of us just take for granted. How much do you like your socks to be clean and comfortable? How much more meaningful would it be to someone who rarely gets such a thing?

I want to thank Mt. Sharon Cumberland Presbyterian Church for caring enough about our friends on the streets to collect the hundreds of pairs that they did. We’ll be handing out socks for a long time.

More than that though, I’d like Mt. Sharon’s collection of socks to challenge you and your friends, your church, or your organization. What do you take for granted everyday that you could collect for our homeless friends? How about undergarments? Maybe toilet paper? What about nail clippers? What’s your idea? Now go collect them and then hand them out. Call one of us from the Burrito Ministry if you need and we’ll help you do it.

Because I’ve never seen someone cry over a pair of socks. Have you?

Have You Ever Cried Over a Pair of Socks? A Reflection in Ministry