"A" Is For Ambitious, Aspiring, and Ascending
Yesterday, things changed with 'the guys'. I expected the regulars to be around, but instead, I was greeted by "A". He wanted to talk. He wanted to test me. He wanted to see if I was for real. "Are you that crazy girl who posted fliers around that you wanted to help the people down here? The others told me about you." Wow, I was still stuck on the word 'crazy' as he continued to talk. Why was I crazy? Why did they see me as this? Why kept running through my head when he suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts..."We don't see you as crazy, but others will in this town. We think you are sweet." He wanted to know why I wanted to do this, what did I hope to accomplish and did I understand this plight. After we got passed this set of tests, we traded stories of our past experiences, what it was like growing up in our families and questioned if my husband and I went to Church (EVERY Sunday.) After 2 hours of conversation, I asked if I passed his test and let him know that to me, it was obvious he was there as a 'new spokesperson' for the Homeless. To see if he could trust me as the others did. "Gee, you are sharp. You have street smarts." Yes, I passed.
Now "A" was nicely dressed, most would have never known he was once Homeless. He has been off the streets for just a short time, but has a trailer that he rents, food in his fridge and goes out daily to do odd jobs to try and start to make a living. He still frequents with the other Homeless out of friendship, loyalty and hopes one day they too will make it back into society. We share the same dream in this regard.
He asked me a few questions that stayed on my mind even after I left.
A: "Are you going to forget us one day?"
Me: "No! I know others have started, with it to stop, just as quick as it started, but I am loyal to my friends until the end. Say if my husband and I were walking around down town and we ran into you, I would greet you with a hug and talk, if you had the time. Or, even ask you to join us for the day."
A: "What about the other guys such as "R"?
Me: "He is special to me. I see so much hope in his Soul and when he is ready, he will want to get his life together. But, even still I would do the same for him as I said to you."
A: "What if your kids or friends were with you?"
Me: "I would introduce everyone."
A: "Do you have any kids?" (He asked this with a grin and a chuckle."
Me: "OK I know what this is about. I get this question all the time. You want to know if I am wanting to be Mother to the World. No My husband and I don't have any children together as of yet. He has 3 from a previous marriage and they are just as compassionate as we are."
A: "Do you have a nice house?"
Me: I had to think about this. Nice to who's standards? The people of Williamsburg or the people of Greenville, where we moved from. The Homelesses' standards or evryday society? My first response was no. "Our house is a very small concrete rental. We have decorated it nice and painted the inside and have a decent size yard, but barely enough space for us and most of our furniture is in storage." My husband and I have talked several times about the cost of living here, the low pay wages and the property/houses. Down South where we moved from, the street we live on would be considered 'upper poverty' (there are a few houses on our street that would be exempt from this.) Here, in Williamsburg, it is an old resort area that were turned into homes and updated. Don't get me wrong, we like our house, but to compare the pricing of rent against the 2 areas, you get more for your money in SC (but I would like to say our Landlords make up the difference here in kindness.)
Before I left, the last thing he wanted to know is if sometime I would bring some trash bags down so we can all clean up the area. When you give people (anyone and everyone) a grain of hope, plant that seed, sometimes you can get a bed of roses, instead of weeds.
Ps. 72:2-4; 12-14 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
Yesterday, things changed with 'the guys'. I expected the regulars to be around, but instead, I was greeted by "A". He wanted to talk. He wanted to test me. He wanted to see if I was for real. "Are you that crazy girl who posted fliers around that you wanted to help the people down here? The others told me about you." Wow, I was still stuck on the word 'crazy' as he continued to talk. Why was I crazy? Why did they see me as this? Why kept running through my head when he suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts..."We don't see you as crazy, but others will in this town. We think you are sweet." He wanted to know why I wanted to do this, what did I hope to accomplish and did I understand this plight. After we got passed this set of tests, we traded stories of our past experiences, what it was like growing up in our families and questioned if my husband and I went to Church (EVERY Sunday.) After 2 hours of conversation, I asked if I passed his test and let him know that to me, it was obvious he was there as a 'new spokesperson' for the Homeless. To see if he could trust me as the others did. "Gee, you are sharp. You have street smarts." Yes, I passed.
Now "A" was nicely dressed, most would have never known he was once Homeless. He has been off the streets for just a short time, but has a trailer that he rents, food in his fridge and goes out daily to do odd jobs to try and start to make a living. He still frequents with the other Homeless out of friendship, loyalty and hopes one day they too will make it back into society. We share the same dream in this regard.
He asked me a few questions that stayed on my mind even after I left.
A: "Are you going to forget us one day?"
Me: "No! I know others have started, with it to stop, just as quick as it started, but I am loyal to my friends until the end. Say if my husband and I were walking around down town and we ran into you, I would greet you with a hug and talk, if you had the time. Or, even ask you to join us for the day."
A: "What about the other guys such as "R"?
Me: "He is special to me. I see so much hope in his Soul and when he is ready, he will want to get his life together. But, even still I would do the same for him as I said to you."
A: "What if your kids or friends were with you?"
Me: "I would introduce everyone."
A: "Do you have any kids?" (He asked this with a grin and a chuckle."
Me: "OK I know what this is about. I get this question all the time. You want to know if I am wanting to be Mother to the World. No My husband and I don't have any children together as of yet. He has 3 from a previous marriage and they are just as compassionate as we are."
A: "Do you have a nice house?"
Me: I had to think about this. Nice to who's standards? The people of Williamsburg or the people of Greenville, where we moved from. The Homelesses' standards or evryday society? My first response was no. "Our house is a very small concrete rental. We have decorated it nice and painted the inside and have a decent size yard, but barely enough space for us and most of our furniture is in storage." My husband and I have talked several times about the cost of living here, the low pay wages and the property/houses. Down South where we moved from, the street we live on would be considered 'upper poverty' (there are a few houses on our street that would be exempt from this.) Here, in Williamsburg, it is an old resort area that were turned into homes and updated. Don't get me wrong, we like our house, but to compare the pricing of rent against the 2 areas, you get more for your money in SC (but I would like to say our Landlords make up the difference here in kindness.)
Before I left, the last thing he wanted to know is if sometime I would bring some trash bags down so we can all clean up the area. When you give people (anyone and everyone) a grain of hope, plant that seed, sometimes you can get a bed of roses, instead of weeds.
Ps. 72:2-4; 12-14 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
posted by Patti @ 9:00 AM
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