This is only our second week on the road, and already I can tell that deciding whose story to tell is going to be incredibly difficult. We meet so many homeless people, each with their own tragic story, some still living in the misery of their lives, some content to do so, but others who are looking for the way off the streets.
We (Kathy, my faithful traveling companion and I) have to constantly remind ourselves that our job isn't to rescue the homeless from the streets. In truth, there is no way that we could. Our job, the mission that we have been called by God to do, is to raise awareness for and bring hope to the homeless of this nation.
There were some great people we met this week though. One sweet girl, I don't know her name, was cold. And because we didn't come equipped with blankets and coats (just Bibles and big hearts) I did the only thing I knew to do . . . I gave her my blanket.
I've narrowed down the stories to two I want to share with you from our time in Austin, Texas.
I met a woman named Denise, 57 years old, originally from up north, but has been in Austin for many years. Denise was kicked out of her house by her boyfriend. She called the cops and they wouldn’t help, couldn't help. I don't dive too deeply into their stories. I know that the circumstances that got her to the streets were caused from domestic abuse. Her story is not unlike many of the women we meet. Most escape to the streets to survive or are thrust into the streets because they have no place else to go. 25% of the nation's homeless are women and 50% of those women are on the streets because of domestic violence.
After some time on the street, Denise has now found a warm bed at the Salvation Army shelter. We asked if she had a Bible and she said someone stole it, so we gave her one. I asked her if she knew the Lord as her Savior. She paused and her words were “I’m working on it.” I then asked her straight up if she wanted to commit her heart to Jesus that day and she said “Yes.”
She was not smiling before we prayed. I love this picture though. It was taken after she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior, and she stayed like that the rest of the day. Every time we saw her she was smiling big just like this.
The other story I want to share with you is Deanna's story. Deanna is 43 years old and originally a native of Alvin, Texas. Her homeless journey spanned 18 years of her life, starting in her late teens.
We met Deanna on our last night in Austin at Church Under the Bridge. Deanna was homeless for 18 years by choice (her words). Her life on the street consisted of drugs, alcohol, mental instability and prostitution. During this time she had 6 daughters, all of whom she put up for adoption. Though Deanna is no longer on the street, her life is far from picturesque. She lives in a trailer with a man she doesn’t love, nor does she think loves her. But she chooses to stay for fear of being alone or worse yet, of being back on the streets. The lure of her addiction and the life she once knew is incredibly powerful in her life. Deanna told me that she had been off drugs for quite some time but during a recent personal tragedy she “slipped.” She’s been clean again for a few months and is looking for group that will help her stay that way.
Deanna is a Christian, and her prayer is to be in God’s will and help others. She serves faithfully at Church Under the Bridge because she knows the desperation of homelessness. I think a part of her is there each week because she feels at home among the homeless of Austin. Though she fears returning to that life, she's working to serve others and to overcome her fear. She said, "God wants me to do this."
It is difficult to know what to say as we depart these cities, as we leave behind these people we meet. So we pray and we trust God to rescue and redeem them for His glory.
We (Kathy, my faithful traveling companion and I) have to constantly remind ourselves that our job isn't to rescue the homeless from the streets. In truth, there is no way that we could. Our job, the mission that we have been called by God to do, is to raise awareness for and bring hope to the homeless of this nation.
There were some great people we met this week though. One sweet girl, I don't know her name, was cold. And because we didn't come equipped with blankets and coats (just Bibles and big hearts) I did the only thing I knew to do . . . I gave her my blanket.
 |
| She was so happy when I gave her my blanket. Her mom was overwhelmed. It takes so little to minister to the hearts of the homeless. Did you know that 1.3 million children are homeless in America? |
I've narrowed down the stories to two I want to share with you from our time in Austin, Texas.
I met a woman named Denise, 57 years old, originally from up north, but has been in Austin for many years. Denise was kicked out of her house by her boyfriend. She called the cops and they wouldn’t help, couldn't help. I don't dive too deeply into their stories. I know that the circumstances that got her to the streets were caused from domestic abuse. Her story is not unlike many of the women we meet. Most escape to the streets to survive or are thrust into the streets because they have no place else to go. 25% of the nation's homeless are women and 50% of those women are on the streets because of domestic violence.
After some time on the street, Denise has now found a warm bed at the Salvation Army shelter. We asked if she had a Bible and she said someone stole it, so we gave her one. I asked her if she knew the Lord as her Savior. She paused and her words were “I’m working on it.” I then asked her straight up if she wanted to commit her heart to Jesus that day and she said “Yes.”
She was not smiling before we prayed. I love this picture though. It was taken after she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior, and she stayed like that the rest of the day. Every time we saw her she was smiling big just like this.
The other story I want to share with you is Deanna's story. Deanna is 43 years old and originally a native of Alvin, Texas. Her homeless journey spanned 18 years of her life, starting in her late teens.
We met Deanna on our last night in Austin at Church Under the Bridge. Deanna was homeless for 18 years by choice (her words). Her life on the street consisted of drugs, alcohol, mental instability and prostitution. During this time she had 6 daughters, all of whom she put up for adoption. Though Deanna is no longer on the street, her life is far from picturesque. She lives in a trailer with a man she doesn’t love, nor does she think loves her. But she chooses to stay for fear of being alone or worse yet, of being back on the streets. The lure of her addiction and the life she once knew is incredibly powerful in her life. Deanna told me that she had been off drugs for quite some time but during a recent personal tragedy she “slipped.” She’s been clean again for a few months and is looking for group that will help her stay that way.
Deanna is a Christian, and her prayer is to be in God’s will and help others. She serves faithfully at Church Under the Bridge because she knows the desperation of homelessness. I think a part of her is there each week because she feels at home among the homeless of Austin. Though she fears returning to that life, she's working to serve others and to overcome her fear. She said, "God wants me to do this."
It is difficult to know what to say as we depart these cities, as we leave behind these people we meet. So we pray and we trust God to rescue and redeem them for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment