Like a lot of people, I have been following the story of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice. To think that in a week’s time, he could go from living in a tent to celebrity status with a house on the way, compliments of the Cleveland Cavaliers, is truly amazing.

I am so happy for his mother and family who have endured his struggles. He now has been given another shot at having a life that, if handled properly, can prove positive for both him and his family.

My problem, despite my happiness, is being challenged on a number of other fronts. Don’t get me wrong; I want Ted to have a better life, and I am not at all surprised that this would happen. The Lord is like that. He will move, and when He does, it is often suddenly. The power of prayer never fails. We see a mother who prayed for over 20 years for her son. Even when he didn’t want to hear from her about her God, she continued to pray. God answered their prayer, not only in the midst of the newfound stardom, but all the years that Ted was on the streets addicted to drugs and alcohol, God kept him.

The story of Ted is not an exclusive one. On the streets of this country, so many homeless men and women are assumed to have no value to society or are judged wrongly. I can’t help but wonder: If Ted didn’t have a voice that someone else could benefit from, would his tent now be vacant. The voice will bring dollars to Ted, along with housing, but it will also pay dividends to the networks that have embraced him and offered him jobs. Kraft Mac and Cheese, for example, is bound to sell a lot of Mac and Cheese just because of Ted.

Matthew 25:25-35 speaks to all of this. The verses provoke thought in terms of what we should do when we come across the homeless, the hungry, the naked or the imprisoned. The Lord reminds us that “the least of them” is a part of His family, and what is done to or for them, is done to or for Him.

So, while I am happy for Ted and his family, this story gives us an opportunity to reassess our thought process. I’m not suggesting we hit the streets holding auditions for the next latest and greatest, but I am suggesting that, at the very least, we pray for our brothers and our sisters who are standing in a place where any one of us could easily land. In the words of Kirk Franklin, “It could’ve been me, Lord, out there with no food and no clothes...”
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Tanya Wilson is an inspirational speaker living in Charlotte, N.C. Friend her on Facebook or email her at tw360you@aol.com.

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