Our Home our Haven

Our Home our Haven

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

 Heavy Heart for the Homeless



I am just putting my heart on the page today as many bloggers do, no photos today just something to think about.
Sometimes when we have something heavy on our hearts we feel it for the moment and then it is business back to normal,you may see something that makes you think"thats awful I must try to do something",then life's busy days come and go and we realise we never did do what we had planned.

As a Christian,it is times like this that we believe the Holy Spirit is talking to us and we are either obedient to the message or not.If not then we often suffer the consequences such as a guilty consience or ask for forgiveness,each person knows what they should have done.For non Christians if can be interpreted as just a  subconcious thought I suppose, or a knowing of what right and wrong in the world is.
Recently I went to visit my daughter and I love to go to her church,it is Penticostal,happy clappy,rock and roll music and if you are not foot stomping had clapping and full of the message when you leave you have either been dead for 3 days or totally deaf lol.The thing is the pastor does not preach at you, he talks to you,there is a huge difference,his talk of the day was the Homeless in the city of Newcastle(Australia).There are so many in the thousands actually.
This was so heavy on my heart,when I came out I thought "I have to do something"knowing this time I would not forget to be obedient.In the outer hall of the church was a pamphlet with a shopping list for a hamper for the Homeless.I took a list and bought it home.
I am very much involved with my community and we even print a small free monthly little paper.I do a column called Treasures Talk as I am co ordinator of our little opshop,we are all volunteers and all the goodies come from the townspeople and the money goes back into things the town needs. I wrote in my column this month about my going to church etc and the message of the day and put the list in there.I also asked for blankets for the homeless for next winter.My heart felt good, I had come home,followed through and printed of a hundred lists placed them all over town in the shops etc where people could pick one up and put it on the fridge.I asked not that people in these hard times try to get a full hamper but even one or 2 items extra when they shopped and I would make the packages up.
It has only beens a week,I have already a pile of the loveliest soft blankets and food is starting to come in.
I found that when I made inquiries in our local area alone we have many homeless and they are not people who can get the dole as they have no fixed address it is frighteneing.In the city many are corporate people who have lost first their company,then their home and family and have nothing absolutely nothing.My daughter in laws sister recently moved from 2 states away leaving a 20 years marriage taking her 11 year old son with her, she came to be near her sisters only to find she had never rented so had no references,this and the fact that at least 30 people were trying for each flat that was available,she after exhausting her welcome with every relative spent many nights in her car!(she finally has a home after 4 months!) I could not believe it! this is the way many people get to be homeless.
Mother Tereasa once said "if you cannot feed thousands,just feed one".
I am so sorry to have rambled on,I just wanted to get everyone to think about just when you shop next time buy a little item extra and drop it off at a charity shop near you,you will make a difference.
I am so thankful everyday for the food on our table,our soft bed and shelter.I know we are just an average family but we have too much when others have nothing.
I always thought of homeless as runaways or alcaholics and the like I never thought in the blink of an eye it could be any one of us.
Thanks for reading if you got to the end lol,ordinary people can do ordinary things that will make an extraordinary difference to another.
Feel blessed today and remember to give thanks to God for keeping you and yours safe.

11 comments:

  1. That is a very thought-provoking post. Thank you , plenty to consider there.

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  2. Carole - such a lovely post and such a lot to think about. I'm so pleased blankets etc are coming in for your project. There are many, many people out there on the streets here too. I guess until we have to walk in their shoes, we really don't know what it's like! Bless you for your care!

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  3. Oh so good and so very true!
    I think it's so important....when we feel something laid on our hearts- to actually DO something!!!!
    I'm glad you did and know you will be blessed for it.
    Thank you for sharing!!!

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  4. Hi Carole,

    I admire you for your contributions to society, to the helpless and those whom are in need. That is our duty and I need to do more of it. Thank you for this heart felt post.

    A happy, hand clapping, prasing the Lord church is an awesome place to be!

    Gerry

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  5. A lovely challenging post, thanks Carole for writing. God Bless you and your work.
    Love and prayers from England
    Heather x

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  6. So many are only one pay check away from being homeless. Tis very sad indeed!

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  7. It is a sad story and yes there are lots of homeless people in every town. Good on you for doing your bit to help, we all should.

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  8. Carole. Of course you're right. Those of us who have so much, often forget those who have nothing. I consider it our duty to help the 'genuine' homeless.... the 'life-style' homeless is another question, they are a bizarre phenomenon.

    re the Mother Theresa quote: I had a relation who, having bought a new house, discovered a tramp living in the garden shed. They looked after him, and eventually incorporated him into their family. I met him; they called him 'uncle' X.

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  9. I volunteered in a drop in for nearly two years and saw life that I did not know existed. As you say 'there but for the grace of God' - quite a number of ex service men are on the streets coping not only with homelessness but trama as well. St. Lukes Drop In was a life line, a free lunch, help with housing and benefits the NHS got involved and doctors gave there time to give help check ups and nurses came to see to the wounded who were at the mercy of 'yobs' it was a sad but happy time and it makes me grateful for my home family and friends.
    Beverley (UK)

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  10. Excellent post ... thanks for sharing with us.
    Mrs.B

    BTW, your mom's new puppy is absolutely the cutest!

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  11. Hi Carole, this is a really lovely post with a strong message. It is extremely sad that there are so many people out there living in conditions that many are unaware of, or don't want to know about.

    Thank you for being you, you are a kind generous soul and there should be more of you in this world.

    I feel that I have too much sometimes while people all over the world go without and live in appalling conditions. We have homeless people here too...Rentals have got way too expensive and government housing is so hard to get.

    I hope that you get enough donations for your hamper, sounds like you are having some success.

    Thank you for bringing this to our attention and may God richly bless you Carole.

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