but it was rough for me
Random left town today
headed new places
he went with Jimbo
they got rousted by police last night
bird watchers complained they were trashing the place by the tracks where they hung out
i guess they don't see any future for themselves in this town
after all, the homeless here don't yet have toilets and showers and trash cans at their home down by the tracks ..
maybe they'll find relief and better circumstances elsewhere
i guess the naysayers got their wish this time
selah ..~
got a couple thoughts ..
i've been trying my best to envision, piece by piece, what it would feel like to be homeless
i'm not doing a very good job of it
'cause i simply don't know how they do it
i mean, i can't see myself there ..
i love camping out ..
but
i invariably have control
i get to decide how long i stay out
i get to head back home whenever i want
back to my comfortable comfort ..
" what a wonderful time i had "
" great adventure ! "
get a hot shower
fix a homestyle meal
sit by the tele and cock-up my feet and watch the world die on the ' news '
crawl into my warm comfy bed and sleep
unworried
unconcerned
unafraid .. . .
Random doesn't get that choice
he ' sleeps ' with one eye open
he manouvers himself trying to find a position that's not so hard
not so rocky
not so sticky
and hopes noone can see him as they walk by in the dark
he sleeps in the same unwashed clothes he's been in for several days
in the same sleeping bag
same socks
same underwear ..
last shower was 3 days ago
back into dirty clothes
the one before that was a week before ..
he shaved a month ago, maybe
haircut .. long time
brushed his teeth .. a while
Randon hasn't sat in a comfortable chair watching tele in a long long time
eating a homecooked meal
feet cocked up
freshly showered and shaved
all clean-clothed
and so on and on
and on ..
Random fought for this country
he offered his life
regardless of his outlook on the war
he was there, did that ..
and i get to
and he doesn't
? ?
processing .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
my dog lives better than Random
and Jimbo
and the other 4000 of them in this county
my dog had a professional bath 3 days ago
hot water and shampoo and hair dryer - the works ..
2 squares a day
safe home/shelter
and he has friends ..
Random is a person
my dog is a dog ..
huge difference ..
one bears the divine image
the imago dei
selah ..~
my heart is heavyi already miss Random
i looked forward to a long relationship
praying
watching him as he emerged from his hellhole
return to humanity
after the tragedy ..
i liked him
he's my friend ..
selah ..~
one day
one fine day .. . . .
.. .. .. ..... . . . .. . . . . .
i have a dream ..
a dream that one day
Random and Jimbo and many many other Randoms and Jimbos
will have a safe place to sleep at night
every night
a warm place ..
and have access to regular hot showers
and laundry
and a change of clothes
and hot meals
and a not-so-hard surface to sleep on
their own lockers
a place to hangout and feel welcome
like family
to read
recharge their cells
.. . .
recharge their souls
i have a dream
i dream that Jesuses will rise up all over this planet
people who commit to be disciples of Messiah
not ' christians '
disciples
and who give their lives to creating Kingdom with their rabbi
starting now
bringing reconciliation and wellbeing and wholeness to other humans
who, like them, are created in the image of their Creator ..
people enslaved
people abused because thy have no option
people sidelined
because they have no ' value '
except abuse-value, however you want to coin that
and are looked-on as animals
less-that-human
somehow thay don't get to be God-image-bearers
because they don't look like it
smell like it
they don't look or smell like me .. .
outcasts
...
...
i have a dream
and it's as clear to me as the sky outside that glass window
and i am walking directly towards it
stick in hand
dogfriend off chasing in the bushes
eye on that city where there is no darkness no sorrow no hunger no thirst
noone kicking someone out
a place where Random has a shelter of his own
a warm place with a picture of his son on a wall, just over there
the 20-something lad that was killed in an accident just a few weeks ago
a place where people smile and laugh and feel safe
and are consciously reflecting the imago dei in them
where God is constantly put on display
and the aroma of Jesus fills the air everywhere
i have a dream
and
God helping me
i intend to see it transform us
before i leave
____ __ _ _ __ _ _________ _
i was walking home a few minutes ago
when i met Thorin
he was riding a bicycle and using one hand to pull along a trailer on 2 wheels
it had his stuff in it
in his 20's
he asked me for a light
we talked a few
i invited him to come in at 4.00 a.m. the next time we open ..
we have this thing going where we open a room 3 mornings a week for 5 hours
people can come in and get hot breakfast
and can move into another space where they can sleep for a few hours
and i told Thorin i expect to see him there ..
then he lifted his pant leg and showed me a pretty awful sore
said he squeezed a pimple there without washing his hands
and now it's infected
he has antibiotics and cream ..
said he'll come
i gave him a card with dates and times ..
i'd like to see him there
and another 500 like him
or 900 ..
breathing Jesus with every breath
pray for it
it can happen
because we are the imago dei
disciples of Jesus
shalom
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