Turtles carry their homes on their backs; so do many homeless people. My home is a shell of many layers; all temporary, all permeable. Wind, air, heat or extreme cold; my house is not entirely my own–the elements press in uninvited. My layers remind me that it is a battle to live without a house. Tarps, tents, long-johns, wool socks (two pairs - one set over the other), bodly-glove winter shirt, stocking cap, sweat-shirt with hoodie, sweat pants, down sleeping bag with one old heavy sleeping bag on top for extra-thick coverage and a thin foam pad beaneath my sleeping bag (but above my air mattress) to insulate from the cold from below. Layer after layer after layer!
It’s work to build a house around your body. Almost makes you not want to go to the bathroom once you’ve gotten all situated. Even now, I am secure, but only as a guest in another person’s tent. Even this shell is not my home. It belongs to another. “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). It rained Monday night. The patter of raindrops on the tent lulled us to sleep. It is cold and wet….again! Camp is quiet. A few coughs “two houses down,” the drone of cars passing by and, of course, more snoring from the neighbors. The zipping sound of nearby tents means people are on the move…coming and going. We woke up to ice-drops frozen on the outside tent walls. We made it through another night - but what will this day bring?
If you haven’t already, swing by and say hello to this new neighborhood. Come out to one of our nightly meetings at 7:00 PM and learn about homelessness. Consider even camping out one night to see what life out in the cold is like. Come join the fun and meaning of learning!