Be It Ever So Humble, There's No Place Like Home

Welcome to Wednesday. Only days until Spring Break, and it still feels like the middle of Winter outside! Brrr.


But enough walloping on that deceased equine. I don't really want to rant today, rather I'm going to overstate the obvious. Yesterday I had the privilege to volunteer in a local homeless shelter. This shelter is unique as it allows entire families (fathers, mothers, and children) to sleep together in a semi private room. But the shelter also sleeps single men and women, in separate areas of course.

I'm painfully aware that most of us are no more than a missed paycheck or two away from being homeless ourselves. And I'm not saying that everyone that is homeless is in that situation because of their own choices. But what did frustrate me was to see the families with small children that were in the situation they are in because of the choices of the parents.

If you would rather purchase drugs and alcohol instead of paying rent, that's your choice. But when you are a parent you forfeit the right to be selfish, and you need to do everything in your power to provide for your children. Even if that means going hungry yourself!

I met some great people that work at the shelter, and some that live there as they try to get back on their feet. As I talked with them, especially those that are there as employees or volunteers, they all said the hardest thing for them to see was the families that were there because of the bad choices of their parents. I had to agree.

I'm sure you all have different opinions about homeless people, and I'm sure some of you refuse to give money to them when you see them at the grocery store because you feel "they're just going to buy booze" but I personally will go out of my way to stop to give them some money.
I'm not saying this to toot my own horn by any means. The biggest reason I do it is a selfish one. Flower is usually with me when we go to the store. And every time she sees me give money to a person in need she will ask me why I've done that. After answering her several times I now just ask her back, why she thinks I did. And to hear her answer back every time " because they need the money more than we do, and it's what Jesus would do" is reward enough for me. For all the bad examples I do and am for my children, I hope the very few good ones are the ones they remember and imitate when they grow up.

A side comment to those people that really do believe that homeless people are just going to spend the money on drugs or alcohol: I would rather gamble my money on the chance that they will waste it rather than miss the opportunity to help someone that really will buy food for them or their children.


KG