Recently a friend of mine who is an inner-city street evangelist met a young homeless man.
This young gentleman told my friend that his hardest struggle was to find the ambition to not be homeless. He found it much easier to accept his situation than do something to change it.
Before you raise your arms in defense, let me be clear. I am not suggesting that this is typical of homeless people. On the contrary, I would believe quite the opposite. I also agree with the many professionals who are involved with the homeless. Theirs is the thought that emotional and mental health is a factor in landing folks in a non-directional lifestyle; that being in these unfortunate circumstances will quickly increase the risk of health issues, be it mental, physical, and spiritual.
In my own journey of recovering from and learning about the emotional part of addiction, I feel very incapable and will decline further comment in this article.
My thought for today is: As there are degrees of physical health, there are, too, degrees of mental health. When physical health begins to deteriorate, it often continues downward, getting progressively worse. Mental health too wants to follow the same type of declining scale. Again, I am not suggesting that there are not many, many cases where this does not hold true, and declining physical and mental health can be resolved and have a fast turnaround.
A lot of us have reference points of wellbeing. Of health. Of courage.
Sometimes we follow a pattern of the has-beens. I have a friend who speaks a lot about a past-tense Christian servitude. It suggests he so appreciates the victory of yesteryear that he forgets to refer to success stories of today. Purpose of life involves today. Now.
In the parable of the talents in Luke 19:13, the nobleman “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” Take note the one gained ten to one. Another gained five to one. It appears the master would have been equally satisfied with “mine with usury.” So, here again, don’t compare the measurements of your contributions to life and its purpose.
If the best you can do is sing monotone, find a quiet spot, lift your head to Jesus and belt out praises to him. I had a neighbour that was not gifted in the music line. He brought his tractor to my shop for repair. All morning, with a happy grin on his face, he sang a stanza of a song he loved. Over and over again! My wife and I are still inspired by the off-key “Time is filled with swift transition.” When we repeat it, we intentionally miss hitting a few notes!
In conclusion, don’t complicate your purpose. Endorse it. Live it. Don’t feel bad if you sing “off-key”. Above all, sing praise to God.
