Homelessness

    I love my house. Each year I try to update a section of it while I am off during the summer. Last summer I painted a maroon bathroom yellow, steamed carpets, and rearranged furniture to make it flow better. I also painted ceilings and stained the front porch. The summer before, I painted furniture and stained the back deck. I also had a three month old baby and a new puppy, so most of my time went to them!

    This year I am refinishing my cabinets in my kitchen, hauling lots of unused clothing and toys to Goodwill, and possibly tearing up a section of laminate and replacing it with slate tile in our front entryway.

    My house is a source of pride. It is a place of rest. It is where our family gathers and memories are made. I cannot imagine losing my home, but that is exactly what I have been thinking about lately.

    I am in no way in danger of losing my home, but homelessness has taken a front seat focus in our family lately for three reasons. First of all my grandmother needs to move into a 24 hour care facility. She is no longer able to care for herself well enough to live alone. She doesn't want to leave her home, but we are going to have to make her leave.

    I just finished a charity campaign raising money for a local homeless shelter. All I did was raise money for a set of Bibles, but it got me thinking that I should do more for this shelter. I even have a couple of former students living there right now.

    Finally, a family in my church just foreclosed and is temporarily living in a hotel. The parents and two teenage girls are hoping to move into a small rental home soon. Another family in our church is about to lose their home. This will leave the parents and four boys, ages ranging from 1-10, homeless.

    I read Numbers chapter 2 today and realized that God didn't design us to be homeless. This chapter outlines exactly who should live where based on which tribe they are from. Everyone has a home and place to "belong." This makes me even sadder for those I know who are losing that place in their lives.

    The good thing is that this world is only a temporary home. One day we will all have a beautiful home to live in with all of those we love.