The Glass Slipper

Charity had seen the girl this week for the first time; that meant she was either new to town or new to the street. We walked up the block and tried to find her but she had disappeared. We asked the gas station guy which way she went and he pointed up Florida Blvd. We left snacks for her with the guy and headed back to the Dream Center. We were a little bummed that we hadn’t made contact. A few hours later, guess who walked in?

The name she gave us was Dawn* and she said she had just come to Baton Rouge a week ago. She came with a boyfriend, but he’s gone and she’s still here. She’s not working the street yet. Her roommate does, but we only know that through prior outreaches. She’s hungry, dirty and shaking like she really needs a fix. She’s wearing short shorts, a long-sleeve shirt and gold strappy shoes that look like they probably hurt. It’s 80 degrees outside, so the long sleeves are likely covering the marks of a bad habit. She doesn’t smile often, but when she does her teeth also tell her secret.

We’re able to feed her, pray with her, give her a box of groceries and a new pair of shoes. They’re pink flip-flops, and just her size. She let me take of picture of them. We offered to give her a ride home. She said we could drop her at the corner, but she wasn’t allowed to tell anybody where she stayed. We took her to the corner and watched her walk into the ditch with her groceries, headed towards an abandoned-looking house. We circled back around, heading home to the DC.

A few hours later Crip showed up. She had seen Dawn with food and asked her for some. Dawn told her that the people up the street would give her some if she asked, so she was here to ask. She told Alliece that she hadn’t eaten in 2 days. Alliece gave her a box of leftover pizza, which she immediately opened and started eating. After her third piece, eyes watering, she asked if we had any drinks. I went to get her a water as they continued talking. I returned with the bottle mid-conversation.

Alliece: Is that your real name or your street name?
Crip: My real, real name is Alisha, but my street name is Crip.
Alliece: So are you working the street…you turning tricks?
Crip: You know. Sometimes you got to. I do what I got to do.

She was probably in her twenties. I originally thought that Crip was a gang-related name, like Crips and Bloods. As it turns out, Crip is short for crippled. She walks with a limp due to a knee surgery that went bad, so her name is now Crip. We got to pray for her too, then we delivered her and her groceries back to the Alamo. We waved good-bye to her as she was handing out flyers to her friends for our women’s bible study. God is good.

We did some other stuff down at the Dream Center today. We handed out Depends to a half-dozen agencies that work with the elderly, we gave groceries to two other ministries for them to distribute, and we had our second women’s bible study. Our volunteers showed up, worked hard and blessed people. But of everything we accomplished, I think today was about Dawn and Crip. God knew those women were hungry; not just for food but for hope. We were able to offer that to them. We were able to tell them that the God who saved us was there for them too. We were able to be the hands of Jesus.

Can you even believe that we get to do this? Jesus didn’t have to spare my life, He didn’t have to save me, and He certainly doesn’t have to let me help. But He does: because He loves me, and Crip, and Dawn. He loves the hurting, the broken, the lost and the forgotten. He loves them enough to feed them, to bring them hope, and to be their Prince Charming. A pair of pink, stacked flip-flops might not be your idea of a great gift, but to Dawn they were perfect. All glory to God!

(* names have been changed)