These last 28 days have been....a whirl-wind to say the least.
I have found myself in awkward situations, I have figured
out how to work a blog. Most importantly, I have been apart of something bigger than
me. During my experiment, I attempted to put myself in the shoes of
the homeless. The key word here is attempted. I failed miserably.
Homelessness is so complex that many Americans can be ignorant to its true
definition and how it comes about. There is no formula to becoming homeless.
There is no specific race or ethnicity that is destined become homeless. The
truth is, anyone can become homeless. Even me.
I had
narrow views on “street people” before I did this project. I am human. However,
my illustration of homelessness changed immensely. I experienced the
stereotypes. I interacted with "the outcasts". I discovered on of the
main reason people don't help the less fortunate: American's don't know how to fix the
hole they have inside. They focus their energy on money, recognition, and
jobs, thinking that these seemingly conquerable goals will fulfill them.
Culture has trained us to believe these are the important aspects of life: get
a job, make money, become well known. How wrong we are America. True
fulfillment and purpose comes from wholly serving others
To achieve true significance within our lives,
we need to actually go out and commit our time to helping someone less
fortunate. Donating money is a wonderful act of kindness, but to obtain a true
fulfillment in our lives, I feel that it is much more worthwhile to go and do
for others rather than letting someone else do it for us.
Through this project, I have discovered my passion: People. I have learned how to meet people's needs. There are no generalizations when it comes to poverty. Every story is different.
I have enjoyed doing this project. It has given me reason to reignite my passion. It has given me new insight. But most of all, it has given me opportunities to minister to people who may not hear the gospel other wise. I am going to continue to follow the paths of the people I have met, and strive to completely understand what it really means to live life homeless.
