Jesus is right for whatever is wrong in your life

Beside the opportunity to walk everywhere, living in downtown offered me so many opportunities to get in contact with people. Every kind of people you can think of. From "new" people who just moved in one of the rapid "inner-city comeback" along with condo developments which proved that Cincinnati is NOT shrinking. And "old" people, who have been living here, meaning having an actual own living space, or call the streets as home, one of those, whose, some people would avoid to be in contact with. I heard the CityGospelMission with their campaign of "help other people start with a meal" to prepare for Thanksgiving and the holidays on the radio all day long. People did respond, they wanted to help, and CityGospelMission helped them to make the best use of their resources to really shake people's hands, give people what they need, to start, with food.

But, seeing them everyday giving me another point of view. That there's something they need more than just food. Something in their eyes crying out behind the curtain of anger, or dissapointment, or bitterness. I always feel hesitant to even smile to them, which I had tried most of the time. But, when they didn't smile back, I just had to try once more when I see them again.

This evening I went to the library to pick up the books I had on reserve. I parked my car around my apartment and walked to the library. Blinking red light. A lady was walking with her hands in the pockets, empty eyes which seems to look forward to nothingness. No one, including me, could offer her a smile. She walked as slow as possible as if she didn't care of the cars that came towards her. As if she was just want life to end. She has nothing to loose.

Imagine you're a female. And homeless. You're vulnerable. Your chance of getting bitten up or exploited, insulted, or raped, is bigger than if you're not homeless, or if you're male. You still have to face the fact that not every soup kitchen ministry or service open everyday to provide you with a meal. Not every shelter is a "safe" shelter or even have enough bed for everybody. You probably couldn't get a job because you don't have any addresses, or telephone number where future employers could contact you, or if you had bad mistakes that took you to prison. Or even worse, if you have had any drug addictions. If I were her, I wonder how long I would fight back. I wonder how long I would try to get out until I stop trying. One unfortunate moment seem to lead to endless miseries. You know you have to keep moving but why bother? You have nothing to loose. No body you could turn to. No future that awaits you.
And you probably are still trying to make sense of your past, of what happened when you're younger, trying to "forgive" God who let all those things happened. And try to forgive yourself of what happened that lets you where you are.

It's easy for me to make up stories as the one I just did, but I don't know what that woman is facing. I don't know if she has given up.

On any given day, they said, there were 2,500 people live on the street in Greater Cincinnati. That scene was just one of the many that are not recorded in statistics. Or something that you could capture in the radio while you're trying to figure out how much money to give when they campaign heard. People are still people, no matter how much they are "hidden" behind the numbers. But people have their own reasons to be on the street. Sometimes they want to be on the street because that's the only life they knew. Some couldn't get out even if they want to. The reality behind the numbers, is that, each person has their own reason, and there's no way to generalize when thinking about what solution could help them.

Who would tell them that there is Jesus? Who would even start? I know the CityGospelMission has this kind of ministry, to start one on one relationship with people, but I wonder if they have enough resources to reach more people.

Unless you're flat on your back, you have to keep moving to float.