Under an evening streetlight, I silently waved goodbye to my ‘ohana (family). They watched from the window of what used to be my fourth floor residence. Then quietly, as if to match the somberness of the moment, a bible verse “walked” across my mind. “All things work for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Was God asking me to trust him no matter how my homeless situation unfolded?
I slept in my car that first night and grieved over my loss. I had nothing now except faith in an unseen God in whose hands I had placed my life many years ago. Faith told me that God had my back. Faith reminded me that God knew where I lay my head. Faith assured me that God grieved and hurt with me; that he understood my anger, my desire to lash out at the powers that had manipulated my lifestyle in one moment of time.
Relatives eventually put me up at night. By 5:30 in the morning I’d be gone, not wanting to become an unwelcome guest. During the day, there was nothing to do, nowhere to go—except to state parks. These were hassle-free at the time and provided the necessary bathroom facilities.
The alienation and mental-emotional stresses we face daily are overwhelming. Add to that the recent criminalization of homelessness by governing powers, and our situation escalates to insurmountable. No one truly "adjusts" to homelessness.
Instead, we dodge and cope.
(A Story of Homelessness...continues in Part 2 of 3)
================================================
Scripture from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment