just a thought

I have to share with you that this has been such a hard last several months. I know I have been pretty quiet here on the home front and apologize for my absence.

Back in April I lost my dad. .. it was such a very very difficult time. I really clammed up from it.
Dad died of a staph infection he had gotten after a very long bout of Cancer. I never got to see him cuz I was forbid to. That stung something fierce.
His wife wouldn't allow me to the hospital, the nursing home, hospice or anything.
When he died... she had him cremated right away and did not hold a funeral.

We are still in the midst of possibly going to Texas as we have not heard back from the company that is out of Alliance/Mt. Hope that Roger had applied for. He has not received a letter yet that it was filled so it is still up in the air. He checks periodically and nothing has been decided. Its been over 3 weeks now.

I do have to say that after having spent the past 3 months working for the Metro Housing authority and being one of the front desk receptionists taking applications, re-certification appointments, fingerprint schedules and the list goes on that I have been flooded with stories of folks being homeless,I am exhausted from the stories. My heart weighs heavy for these folks and though they do not know it, a prayer is sent up for each and every one of them. Most would say it is quite depressing or for some just callous to their needs. But I have been homeless in my life as well and I also know what it feels like not to have food in my cupboard and not knowing where I was going to get milk for my babies bottles. I know what it feels like to live in a homeless shelter and I know what it feels like to be not only abused by a spouse but by the system that was supposed to be helping me.
I lift up my prayers for the workers, the compassionate ones and for the ones that have gotten burned out on all the stories and have become callous to them so that they can continue to do the job.
Both sides of the fence need to have the understanding of the situation they both are going through. Being homeless or working to help someone else not be homeless. Hearing the stories or Living the story. We all need to be compassionate towards each others differences.

I had one of the clients tell me she was homeless with 1 little child, living out of the car. When I gave her the information packet on the shelters in the area she was rather nasty , lifting her voice and yelling. " You don't have a clue what its like to be homeless with kids, or not know when you are eating , or have clothes on your back. You don't know what it is like to be fearful of losing your children"
I just looked at her and said... with tears in my eyes...soft and passionately, " yes I do... I have been there with my youngest son, and my other children going to their dad while I spent 3 months in the shelter... oh yes.. I do know what it feels like to be penniless, food-less and homeless..!" She stopped... she looked at me with tears and said... "so how do you do it????"

I replied with a smile, "With a song in your heart and a whisper of a prayer and meals every day at the shelter! You just do it! And you thank your maker for everyday that you have and you find something good to thank him for... and you just do it again... everyday!"

She took the paper and gave a very small smile... while still crying... and me still crying... and I promised to pray for her!!!
MY heart weighs soooo heavy for them and for this young gal and ask that you too lift up a prayer.