What do you take for granted? Now that’s a provocative question. I was just thinking the other day while I was filling out some form or application for something and it occurred to me that I had an answer for every question.
I have a name, address, a phone number, a driver’s license number, a copy of my social security card and I have a someone to contact in case of an emergency.
Easy peazie, right?
Well for some, once they get past the place for their name, it is all blanks. The things we take for granted every day are lacking in their lives. Many of our homeless clients ask if they can use the shelter address so they can receive mail. They use the shelter phone number for call backs from potential employers or landlords. They come in with no ID, no birth certificate.
And the most heart breaking thing is, they don’t have anyone to put down for an emergency contact.
Homelessness is fraught with trauma. Much of it is caused by loneliness and isolation. Of course, I understand that many have made decisions to cause their broken relationships, but at Faith Mission and Faith Refuge, we believe that God can restore them.
When we listen to their stories, we hear them describe tremendous loss. But the loss that stands out the most is the loss of friends and family … even their own children. But according to God’s word, experiencing loss doesn’t make you a loser. God can make all things new.
I’ve always loved the story of the parodical son. This wayward young man appears to be the major character in the story until you get to the road that he traveled to come home. And there you find the Father, waiting with open arms.
The road began in a pig pen, where the young man repented of his sin. It says, “He came to himself.” Restoration always begins with getting our relationship right with God, through faith in Jesus Christ. From there, it is possible, while not guaranteed, but possible to see restoration in our earthly relationships. And that is a beautiful thing.
At the New Beginnings graduation, the other night, Kendra said, “My family wants me to come home again. They want to be around me again. I’m back.”
For some, the answer to homelessness is a house, an address they can fill in on a form. But I’m convinced that the real answer to homelessness is a home.
