Trapped in the Gap

A few minutes after I sent that post yesterday, our receptionist buzzed me to say that there was a man on the line who was homeless and desperately needed help. It's as if the Lord was telling me, "Okay, Jim, it's time to live out what you just wrote." How could I resist His call?

I got on the line and talked to Billy, a man who told me that he was blind, a diabetic and homeless. Yesterday, some members from a downtown Methodist church found him walking around their building and decided to put him up in a motel for the night. After getting his social security #, I made some calls and found out that his story was true.

An hour later I picked up Billy at the motel and took him to visit with a social worker friend of mine who works for Call for Help. She was such a blessing to Billy, exploring with him resources in town to help him with employment, his health needs, etc. He told us that he has applied for disability, having hired an attorney who probably has to spend months or years fighting for his case (he said that she'll get a percentage of what he'd receive). Because of his vision problems, Billy said, he cannot get employers to hire him.

He said that he's worked all his life and thus paid into the Social Security system for many years, but since he's 56 years old, he cannot draw Social Security for six more years. Billy leaned back in his church, looked up at the ceiling and with a sigh he told us, "My mother died when she was sixty. I may not last that long."

My friend scheduled another appointment with Billy and then I took him to the Salvation Army and let the Service Center pay for seven days. He gave me a big hug before I left.

As I've thought about Billy's dilemma, "trapped in the gap" as I see it, I realized how complicated helping the poor is (It's a lot easier writing about it!).

1. It's not always as easy as telling lazy people to just go get a job. What if they're disabled like Billy?

2. What do you do to provide housing for someone who cannot work and yet may not qualify for a place like Hope Haven, a local homeless facility where the residents are required to work?

3. How can you avoid just giving a low-income person a "quick fix" (food, clothes, a bus pass) and instead help them more long-term?

4. If the person has no support (family, church, etc), what do you say to them about seeking out some support systems? Billy told us he has five siblings, but he's embarrassed to tell them about his condition. Do I urge him to call his sister (the one closest to him) and ask her if he could move to her area and get her help?

This takes much wisdom from above, and patience from above.

I'm open to your suggestions. Father, please watch over Billy...and grant us love, wisdom and long-suffering in ministering to the "Billys" of this world.

Jim