LIFE CAN FALL APART

                                  

When I go for my early morning walk down in the park there is a maroon car nestled in the trees. Often on these cooler mornings the motor is running. Obviously to try to keep some warmth in the vehicle. Who is the person that must sleep in their car?

 

Everyone has a very difficult time trying to discuss the reality of homelessness. This is very threatening to our well-being. We also feel very helpless in trying to remedy the painful situation. 

 

In front of every life there is the possibility that everything could fall apart. Life could literally become unglued.

 

When I worked on an article about the ministry of the Good Shepherd Shelter in Toronto, I was given the story of a volunteer (a very steady income) who was confronted by a homeless man. The homeless man just looked at the secure person and reminded him: “The only difference between me and you is two paycheques.”

 

There is no guarantee that the way that parents raise children to become self- reliant will guarantee that these same children will be able to work through every difficulty of life. There always is the possibility that their adult children could make some wrong choices. If we compare our lives to walking along a steep mountain path in the Rocky Mountains, you could always slip and fall off the secure path.

 

Life could collapse for a great number of reasons. Often, the tragedies that produce the collapse come together in one season. There may be long unemployment, marriage breakup, mental illness and family rejection. Often these storms come together. To try to cope people will self-medicate; the person uses alcohol, illegal drugs or pain killers to try to cope and ease the pain. Alcohol abuse just compounds the problems. 

 

It is easy to throw stones and criticize such situations. “I could pull myself up by the bootstraps, why can’t you?” is a very heartless comment. 

 

We must first take ownership of our own limitations. Maybe there is nothing I can do to lead you out of your drug addiction, but I can always try to respect you and value you as a human being. We can support one another. I can always try to recognize the image of God in your life.  Acknowledging our limitations is not weakness. It is a widow that will allow the possibility that I can help somewhere in the future.

 

Secondly, we must not allow ourselves (or family) to be sucked into the quicksand of addictions and craziness. Parents often feel guilty when they refuse to give any money to an addicted son. Parents must take ownership that they must live a healthy life to be of any help to an addicted son. 

 

It takes a lot of courage to recognize how fragile life actually is. It could always collapse.  There is no room for arrogance in this regard. Who was it that wisely reminded us: ‘There but for the grace of God go I’?

 

I have no idea who the person is that sleeps in the maroon car is but I want to respect them as a fellow human being and hopefully am willing to listen to their story (which is probably sad and tragic). But may my support (or your support for others) be a time of hope and courage for a better tomorrow.