When God whispers, comedian Jeff Foxworthy says the only response is simple: “say yes.”
In a recent video posted to his YouTube page, the beloved comedian known for his “you might be a redneck” bits shared a moving testimony about how an unexpected encounter with a homeless shelter led him to a new calling, and a deeper understanding of love, pain and purpose.
While out with his daughters, Foxworthy came across a table set up for the Atlanta Mission, a Christian homeless shelter. Joshua, the man running the booth, asked Foxworthy if he’d come down to the shelter for lunch. The comedian had worked with many organizations before, but never a homeless ministry. Curiosity, and perhaps something more, prompted him to accept.
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Foxworthy admitted that when he arrived, he had questions. “I was curious as to why this guy really wanted me there,” he said. “Was it for a show? Was it for money? Was it to do a commercial for them?” But Joshua’s answer was unexpected. He simply wanted Foxworthy to meet some of the men living at the shelter.
That’s when Foxworthy met Jason, a 21-year-old whose story would shake him to the core.
“I said, ‘Jason, what’s your story?’ I said, ‘You’re 21. Why are you in a homeless shelter?’” Foxworthy recalled. “And Jason said to me, ‘Well, it was me, my brother, my mom and my dad. And when I was 11 years old, my mom killed herself. Two years after that, my brother killed himself, and it was just my dad and me. And in my second year of college, my dad killed himself. I got to the point where I couldn’t hurt anymore, and I started smoking crack. Flunked out of school, and that’s how I’m on the street.’”
Foxworthy didn’t hold back his reaction. “I’m sitting there looking at this kid, and I’m thinking, ‘____, I would have started smoking crack, too. How much hurt can a human heart take?’”
He began to realize that homelessness was often the visible result of deeper wounds. “The addiction, whatever it was, alcohol or drugs, that was a symptom. The cause was some kind of hurt they couldn’t get over,” he said. “I mean, so many of these people had been sexually violated or physically violated, and they just had a hurt they couldn’t get past.”
Weeks later, Joshua revealed the real reason he invited Foxworthy: “You keep asking why I invited you down, I’m gonna tell you. I want you to lead a small group. These guys have never had a small group in their lives, and I think you’d be a great leader for it.”
Foxworthy was stunned. “There are 6 million people in Atlanta. You can’t find a better person than me to do this?” But then came the revelation: “This is the only thing we can do for God is when He whispers to us…say yes.”
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Now a small group leader at the shelter, Foxworthy helps men see their value through God’s eyes. “And anybody on the street is no different than you or me,” he said. “We all want the same thing. We all want to be significant, and we all want to be loved.”
Foxworthy’s story is a reminder that sometimes the most life-changing moments come when we quiet ourselves enough to hear, and obey, God’s gentle whisper.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
