By Tricia R.
A homeless person's tent by the Poudre (pronounced "Poo-der") River in Fort Collins
The type of person who is homeless might look different than you'd think.
I can remember a time when I was younger when a family member would come and stay with my immediate family. It would only be a couple weeks at a time but while she was there she would pitch in around the house. She would bring her children with her. All the kids would laugh and play, and then just as suddenly as they showed up, they were gone.
Off to another housing situation or job. She was kind of transient in that sense. Never staying in one place but hopping from one opportunity to the next. I can remember a time where she called us all the way from Florida. She was staying with a friend and they just couldn’t host her anymore. The only problem was no one was available to pick her up. She was homeless. And it affected us all.
My heart for a long time has been curious for the people we see lingering on the streets. The ones who no longer have a roof over their head or food in their stomachs. God put this curiosity on my heart about 5 months ago. I was sitting in my counsellor’s office talking about how I had this drive, this heart for the lost people of this world. She was listening and nodding when all of a sudden she said “Have you ever thought about going into the missions field?” I paused and thought for a moment. I had done one missions trip before with an organization that helped people in the Dominican Republic, but that was 5 years ago. Was I ready to go back out into the field? I let it register in my mind and she went on the read out of 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5:
Off to another housing situation or job. She was kind of transient in that sense. Never staying in one place but hopping from one opportunity to the next. I can remember a time where she called us all the way from Florida. She was staying with a friend and they just couldn’t host her anymore. The only problem was no one was available to pick her up. She was homeless. And it affected us all.
My heart for a long time has been curious for the people we see lingering on the streets. The ones who no longer have a roof over their head or food in their stomachs. God put this curiosity on my heart about 5 months ago. I was sitting in my counsellor’s office talking about how I had this drive, this heart for the lost people of this world. She was listening and nodding when all of a sudden she said “Have you ever thought about going into the missions field?” I paused and thought for a moment. I had done one missions trip before with an organization that helped people in the Dominican Republic, but that was 5 years ago. Was I ready to go back out into the field? I let it register in my mind and she went on the read out of 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
I knew what she was pointing out. God had been so good to me even in the last several months when I was in complete rebellion. His grace was sufficient to the point that I came back out of that darkness. I started walking with the Lord again and I knew it was time to serve his people. He had comforted me in my affliction, now it was time to go out and comfort them in their affliction. I almost didn’t do it because of the fact that I can remember what it was like for my family member. Having seen her struggle, I wasn’t sure that I could watch that again. It was different in the Dominican. Those people had hope. Though both those in the Dominican and homeless here at home were poor, the homeless in the US tend to be hopeless. What do you do for a population of people who have lost all hope?
Despite my concerns God was telling me to go. Someone there in Colorado needed to hear what I had to say, or I needed a life change either or I knew God was working. So I filled out my application and got accepted about a month later. Now I am writing this while I help out at the Soaring Wings Ministries Ranch. I have faith that God is working in all of my team members and the people we are serving.
As for the hopeless? I am not sure where people of the world draw their hope from. From a personal perspective I draw my hope from Jesus Christ. His promises ring true in my heart. So while I am here I want them to see that hope in our group and pray that God will bring his people near.
Despite my concerns God was telling me to go. Someone there in Colorado needed to hear what I had to say, or I needed a life change either or I knew God was working. So I filled out my application and got accepted about a month later. Now I am writing this while I help out at the Soaring Wings Ministries Ranch. I have faith that God is working in all of my team members and the people we are serving.
As for the hopeless? I am not sure where people of the world draw their hope from. From a personal perspective I draw my hope from Jesus Christ. His promises ring true in my heart. So while I am here I want them to see that hope in our group and pray that God will bring his people near.
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