Heavy Heart

Sometimes, when bad things happen to me or to anyone else, I don't know how to deal with it. I just want to check out. I just can't pretend that these things aren't happening though. I don't really want to pretend that they don't happen. I just want to understand. Since October, Matt, Kin, Donna, and I have been feeding the homeless. When we started, they were living under the overpass. They were a little community. It was getting cold. Very cold. For Baton Rouge anyway, and way too cold to be living outside. They were there with wind and rain as well as days with sun.

A few days before Christmas, the owner of a warehouse opened his place up to them. Before he opened this up to them, there was talk of them being forcefully moved away from the bridge. I was so excited for them when they were moved to the Sacred Hope shelter the warehouse). Good things were happening there. People were getting to know God. People seemed happier. It truly seemed that some of these lives were improving.

In March we showed up on Tuesday, as usual to bring supper for our friends. We were told that they lady who had been serving as a manager of the facility got drunk and came and started cussing at everyone. She was immediately kicked out because there is a no drinking or drug policy.

A few days later, the fire marshal came and forced the people to leave because there us no sprinkler system in case of fire. Fortunately, a church opened up their new building to these people. This seemed to be going well, though some of the people had left, and no one knew anything of their whereabouts. The group was dwindling, and I don't think it was because they suddenly got jobs and found homes. Though that would be great if that was the case.

There seemed to be more and more tension among the group...

Today, we were at the Ellis' getting things ready to go when Kin came and told us that the fire marshal kicked them out of the church too. No one really knows why. I don't really think he had a reason. I almost cried right then and there. My heart is still very heavy tonight for them. We had decided we were just going to drive around the area with hopes to find some of them. God guided us to see George walking on the street. George showed us where about 10 were staying. We walked in and heard several people yell, "YOU FOUND US!! HOW DID YOU KNOW WHERE WE WERE?" It was a God thing that is how.

I wish I knew where the rest were. I want to help them too.

I can't help but feel that it was just out of meanness that these people keep getting displaced. It feels to me like someone is uncomfortable with the idea of homelessness so they are pushing them out of their sight so they don't have to be around it and they can pretend it doesn't exist. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of homelessness too, because I hate to see anyone in such a unfortuneate situation. However, I think God calls us to reach out to people who are not as blessed as we are. These are people, but their humanity is being taken from them by people who are uncomfortable with their situation.