A brother challenged me to share what I think the Lord is leading me to or working in me from my homeless experience. I have alot I want to share about my present situation and why I am in it and in Austin. As much of our life stories are, mine is simple but complicated.  Is that an oxymoron? Ok let me say that my story is is a simply complicated story, or a complicated simple story, well anyways, I think it may be one that some might be able to relate to, so I will share it.

I will start with the last couple of years. I found myself isolated, spending time with my dog and online video games. I also spent time in forums with fellow believers, and playing GO online with people from around the world. I wanted to not be isolated, to not be lonely, to be involved with others. But where does one go to socialize when you are not a drunk, and so don't enjoy hanging out in bars and clubs. I don't really dance, I can and have when dating someone and we were somewhere to dance. I don't enjoy organized religion. I have a hard time sitting through "church services" waiting for them to be over so you can spend profitable time in fellowship with other believers.

Construction in SW FL has tanked. From over 80,000 construction workers in Lee County before the 2008 bust down to about 10,000 workers. Since the bust started I have had a hard time finding employment, taking up to 14 months to get a job. This last time being out of work and seeking a job, was very fruitless.

The last couple of weeks in Florida I felt like I was trapped. Kind of like I was underwater and that there just was nothing for me in the Ft. Myers area anymore. I had been planning on moving for a couple of years and had settled on Austin, TX about a year ago. My plan was to buy a $3000 truck or van, load up my tools and necessary items, sell off and give away the rest of my stuff, pack up my dog and head for Austin. I even had two different rooms lined up in dog friendly homes, for Harley the wonder dog.

There I was checking ads everyday, finding nothing available, knowing that for every menial job offered there would be hundreds of applicants. I have no problem working a menial job, I can wash dishes with the best of them. So I sat there and thought about what I was going to do. Finally the last Saturday I was home I decided I had just enough money for bus fare to Austin and I was going. It took me till Thursday to get going. Wednesday I had jury duty and thought I should do that, keep a misdemeanor off of my record for not showing up. The hardest part was leaving Harley. I thought about placing an ad in Craig's List and trying to find him a good home before I left. But I was not sure I would up and leave, and if I didn't leave, I didn't want to be without my pal.

That Wednesday night after jury duty I stopped vacillating and decided that I was really going to do this. I packed one bag with a few clothes, my backpack with my computer, note pad and a few things, some apples to eat on the way. The next afternoon I put Harley in the back yard with the screen door open, and walked down to the bus transfer station, to ride to the Greyhound station downtown. Even while riding the city bus I kept asking myself, "are you really going to do this?" I was leaving everything behind. All my cooking and kitchen stuff. All my books, the rest of my clothes and all of the kinds of stuff that one collects over thirty some years living in one area.

Finally I was on the Greyhound bus heading out of Ft. Myers. I kept thinking, I can always turn around from the next station and go home. Finally I got too far from home to be able to pay the bus fare back. I texted my landlord, Wendy and told her what I was doing, apologizing for just up and leaving like I did. She said she understood and wished me luck. Later she texted me concerned about my state of being. I tried to convince her that I was ok, not suicidal and was on the bus heading to Austin.

While on the bus I used my laptop and the bus WiFi to tell everyone that I was heading to Austin. I contact the one friend I had in Austin and asked if they knew of someone who could give me a couch to sleep on while I got into some place in the city.

So to wrap up my story, I am now in Austin. I am technically homeless. I have been fellowshipping with the homeless downtown, where so many of the services for them are located. There are many thoughts going through my brain the last couple of weeks. One is that the kingdom of God in Christ Jesus is falling way short of serving those in need in their communities. Too many walk past the homeless and take a disdainful attitude of them and of all those who are poor.

Many of these men and women have been cast  off from society. Some have sought solace in different substances that numb the mind for a time. Others are just numb from having all the props knocked out from under them by the economic depression we are presently in. They lost homes, jobs and families and are lost on the streets  trying to find their way back up.

Being one of the homeless, I am finding a desire to reach out to other homeless and try to serve them. I will admit that I have the same hesitant feelings that most others do. I've never been this low in society before. I find I am being challenged to associate with those of lowly position, and not turn away from them. I have been noticing that many of the homeless walk about with eyes downcast. Afraid of seeing the rejection in other's eyes. I have been trying to look them in their eyes and say hello to every one.

I will write more later....