6.28.2006

Hitting Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom, The end of you rope, taking a hard fall. Choose which term you like best to describe the situation.
I've seen what it is like to hit rock bottom (when there's no where to go but up) in the DTES and I've seen what it looks like here. I think here it is much worse and it effects so many more people. The first family I met when I got here was a family of six; four kids and two adults. I love the kids. They are awesome to hang out with and if they were the only four people that I saw a change in at all during the time here it will have been worth it (I am pushing for more though). There dad hits the youngest son some times and neither parents work and the only income they get is from the government. That money isn't enough to support a family with four kids. So they couldn't pay rent and were evicted. They went to stay at a hotel for a few weeks but that won't last long because it also costs money and after that is over they have to go live in a shelter which means the four kids will be put into foster care and we would never see them again. The boys would have to go to a shelter in Gastonia and the girls would go...well, I don't know; but it wouldn't be here, and their mom is okay with this. I'm sure she would have loved it if she hadn't been evicted, but she is okay with the kids being taken away for a while then she would have to try to get them back after a year or two. How is that an okay way for things to happen. Fortunately, Rob and Heather are a couple of genius' and have taken in the two boys to live with them, and they can live in a house and experience a family like it should be. Rob came by this morning and Juan and Javi were surprised when they were eating waffles for breakfast, because they usually didn't eat breakfast. I never thought anyone could be okay with living in such a terrible place both physically and spiritually. I drove them to the hotel that they are staying at and it was just like our neighborhood except it was just a little place off the side of the interstate. There were guys walking around wearing simple black shirts that said security and they asked everyone where they were going, but I don't know which would be scarier: not having or security guards or knowing that the place is a bad enough area that they need a security guard there all the time. What does it take to get someone to realize that they are not living a normal life?

2 comments:

sixonefour said...

I think it takes having something to compare their abnormal life with...that's where the incarnational salvos come in with their righteous presence in the neighbourhood...it displays another option for life and choices and behaviours...

you're doin' it guy...good on ya'.

Aurora said...

Good thing those girls have someone around who actually cares if they get to stay with their friends or not. My prayers are with you, bro.