Saturday, January 21, 2012

Post 79

I finished my ten things last night but it was after ten o'clock when I got done and I was too tired to write a post. I knew I would sit and stare at the computer screen until midnight drawing a blank.I actually feel a little bit like that this morning. I feel troubled and it is hard to focus on anything else.I think I just need to spend more time in prayer today.

When I was at the homeless feed last night I noticed the attendance was down. I know a large part of it had to do with the terrible weather yesterday. One of the homeless guys that is a regular came in and he looked more exhausted than I had seen him in quite a while.I asked him how he was doing and he said he felt like he could collapse. He said he had not slept for a couple of days because he had to get up every hour and knock the snow off the tent so it would not collapse on them and they would die. How do you respond to that comment? It kind of leaves you at a loss for words.

Shortly before that when I  headed up to Cash and Carry with Ken we were running a little later than planned. We were coming around the corner at the light on 11th street and Kitsap way. As we were going through the light I noticed a young man that looked about seventeen walking with a woman in her sixty's in the snow on the side of the road he was holding on to her with both hands like he was trying to keep her from falling and they were soaked from the rain and water spraying up from the road when people would drive by.As we were coming around the corner and passing them I saw a look on his face that will not leave my mind. It was a look of fear and weariness.There was not a place to pull over where they were at and cars were coming behind us.I felt terrible.

It frustrates me that people that are often harmful to others sit in prison with a warm dry bed, three meals a day, clean clothes, heat, a shower , television, and recreation while others that are out of a job or struggling from mental illness or other things have to lose sleep to stay alive or walk in the rain, snow, wind, cold temps etc. to get there next warm meal. There are a lot of things to me that just don't seem right . There are people that want to help but there are so many rules and regualtions put in place that it makes it very difficult.Why doesn't the state give prisoners the bare essentials to keep them alive and use the rest of the money to open more shelters to help people get back on their feet? I saw way too many wet and cold people yesterday.

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. ISAIAH 58: 7-8

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