The past two weeks have been filled with ups and downs. Losing someone to drugs that was making great strides to get back on their feet is never easy. Through that really rough storm, changes have started in others and people have been brought together who may not have known each other otherwise. Eyes were opened and lives and good times remembered.
There was a point when I first found out about Larry’s death that I felt defeated with all we had been doing with the outreach. That’s it . . . I quit . . . this is just too hard. Larry’s death was the fourth death since January from folks I had gotten to know and who were actively working to get back on their feet. That really stings. No one that we work with through the outreach is a number. They are family. They have a place in our hearts forever. I felt my heart get ripped apart for the fourth time in six months. I became scared to reach out to anyone else as my heart could not take getting to know them, love them, support them, and then lose them – and then a sweet man stepped off the bus last Saturday – several times.
R had the paper we hand out with information about our organization, some resources and our contact information in his hand and all I could make out is that he needed help paying for his hotel room. This is something that we do not do; however, we do have resources that are set up for just this purpose; however, due to a language barrier, I was not able to effectively communicate that to him. He got on the bus for the last time with the understanding that we would be coming to his hotel to pay for his room. On Monday, he called several times. I have a good friend who speaks his language and we hopped on a call with him. I got to understand his story more – who he was and what he was trying to accomplish. He had been out of work for five weeks when the construction job he had slowed down. He was waiting for them to call him back, and thought it would not take too long; however, he was running out of everything he had saved up and no job was in sight.
We reached out on Facebook and to organizations we work with and within a few hours, we were at his hotel with the funds to pay for one more week! We are so thankful for Janet with Advocacy to Alleviate Homelessness for her quick response and for Larry’s family who made a donation that helped give someone more time off the street. On the way over, we called around to some folks we know and came across a construction company who was hiring. An interview was arranged with R on the spot – and he was hired! He starts this Monday, so is in need of assistance for one more week and we know that somehow, somewhere, the funds will come for him to stay there until he receives his first check at the end of this coming week! Our hearts were opened up again to another man in need of help and we added one more amazing person to our growing family/community!
We had someone else this week, who we have known for a while, reach out asking for assistance to get off the street, and are actively working with him. The growth that’s taken place so far has been so exciting to see, and I look forward to seeing him thrive and live the life that has been in his mind and he is striving for!
Today, on the way to buy food for the lunch bags we hand out on Saturdays, I came across someone else who we have known for a year now, and have been actively working with. I stopped by to say hi, and saw that he had a new arm band from the hospital on. The ambulance came by this morning when he passed out on the street due to high blood pressure. He had just been released when I stopped by. He asked for a Pepsi and something small to eat, so I added that to my list as I was shopping. As I left the store, a large streak of lightning came down and thunder roared across the parking lot. I looked up and the sky was getting very dark. I rode around to ask R to get in my car until the storm passed, but could not find him. I was worried about his safety in the storm. After about 5 minutes of driving around, I found him. Just as he got in the car, the rain started coming down in sheets. We sat in the parking lot talking, and he brought up all the loss that’s happened since the beginning of the year. He has known everyone who has passed as well and his heart is hurting.
As the rain started to let up, he got out and looked up and there was a beautiful rainbow! That just warmed both of our hearts! It was like the folks who passed were looking down and letting us know that they are OK. They are celebrating with Christ! It was the most beautiful rainbow I have seen with very vibrant colors! It felt like I could reach out and touch it! I have never seen one so close and so bright before! It was a good reminder that storms are going to come – that is just part of life. Sometimes, these storms really hurt and we may not understand why they are there, or why things happened the way they did. I’ve had those exact questions run through my head recently. The rainbow reminded me that although I may not understand the why, I have trust and faith in the who, and know that his plan, as much as it may hurt at times, is the right and perfect plan, and that with time, I will be able to see all the good in his plan.