It’s what she told me as we met for the first time: “I’m the new face of homelessness… I have 12 silk blouses, 9 strands of pearls and I’m homeless.”
She came to the church after being told she was number 12 on the list for a room at the shelter. There’d been a sign put up on the door of the house she was renting… it said: FORECLOSED. She had 7 days to evacuate with all her belongings. But she’d paid her rent. She’d paid first, last and a security deposit. The owner was long gone. She was a single mom with a daughter. She didn’t have savings, they were just getting by. She needed someplace to stay for a a few weeks so she could re-save what she needed to get her and her daughter into another rental.
Though not at the church that day, I received the call. And here’s a good place to say that I don’t believe in co-incidences only God-incidences. A single mom and the call comes to me. I was a single mom once, for 10 long years. Just getting by…yep I know what that’s like. For each month of those ten years I was a combination of just getting by and falling a little more behind. I can remember three rental apartments and finally with the help of family, moving into a house. Five moves in ten years if you count leaving our home initially. I got the call.
Just a week earlier I’d offered a prayer. I don’t often use “word” prayers anymore. I’m being trained in the prayers of Aelred of Riveaux and John Mains and other meditating mystics. I prefer my prayer time as “gazing at God and having God gaze at me.” So I surprised myself when the words formed: “God, show me a way to help someone else this year.”
The next day there were angel tags left on the tree, I thought that was my answer. I went shopping for children’s things. I remember thinking how quickly the response came to my wordy prayer. And how painless. Four presents for four children who I’d never see. Easy.
But then I received the call. All those words are important. I – received – the call. “I” – someone who was once a single mom with a 10 year old… “Received” – it was a particular answer I was receiving and I knew it… “The call” – this wasn’t something I could ignore, over-look, pass on to someone else. This was as close as I’ve been in a long time to hearing God’s voice. I – received – the call.
There is likely a much bigger story behind how this single mom of a ten year old came to be in need of a place to stay for a few weeks. That may or may not come to light. For now, they are my roommates for the few days a week I spend at the Center. The new face of homelessness is in the other room, sharing a little space while getting their lives back on track.
It was not lost on me for a moment that it was the first week of December and a mother and child needed a place to stay. It was not lost on me that even at the shelter in Naples, Florida — there was no room in the inn. It is not lost on me that my response to them, was prepared in me a very long time ago.
I share this story with you hoping two things: 1. That you might offer the prayer I prayed: “God, show me how to help someone else this year.” There are still 11 days left in 2010 to do good. And 2. That you might wonder what work God has prepared in you, from a very long time ago. God can use any experience He’s allowed us to travel through, for good. BLESSINGS AND JOY, THE CELTIC MONK
The Celtic Monk Musings 