By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO
Joy Junction Inc.
via www.bestsayingsquotes.com
It’s really not helpful, but we all worry.
We worry about sickness, losing our jobs and lack of finances, and we worry about being worried.
But think for a minute how many of the things about which you’ve worried have come to pass. Maybe a few, but definitely not as many as those about which you worried, right?
I’m an inveterate worrier, and thinking back, even with a few of the things about which I worried that did come to pass, my worry didn’t help. It just destroyed my ability to enjoy the present. But I still worry-even though the Bible tells me to cast my cares on Him. I’m working on it!
A while back, I was thinking about the worries of being a homeless person. If anyone “deserves” to have worries, they do.
I asked a manager at Joy Junction to find out from a few of our guests what they worried about most.
One woman said that prior to coming to Joy Junction, her biggest worries were not being able to get enough food to eat and finding a safe place to sleep.
She said, “I was controlled by fear.”
She added, reflectively, “It’s hard trying to get around day by day not knowing what’s out there on the streets.”
She added, “Another fear is hanging out with the wrong people at the wrong time.”
Another woman said she worries about her two young children. She said her concern is, “What I’m going through as a homeless person will have an effect on their life, school, health, and immediate needs.”
However, she added, this time in their lives has been one of real learning. “We all appreciate everything we used to take for granted. We have had time to really spend time together. We are thankful to everyone that has (occurred). And we’re thankful that we are getting rid of all the bad things in our lives.”
Another woman said that prior to finding Joy Junction her biggest worry was where she was going to lay her head at night, get her next meal, take a shower or even wash her clothes?
Not surprisingly, she said she also worried about being robbed while she slept.
She continued, “I thank God for Joy Junction. I now have a place to sleep, eat, shower, and a place to wash my clothes. I’m finally off the streets. If it wasn’t for Joy Junction, I would still be on the streets.”
One of our male guests told us his biggest fear was not having enough money to “survive.”
He added, “I also worry about not being able to make it in the world everyday. This effects me emotionally and mentally.
“The life of a homeless person is really hard when you’re trying to survive the real world,” he said. “It’s hard to try and make it in the world without knowledge of what a homeless person is going experience from day to day. It’s very scary and hard living on the streets.”
Another male guest said the winter months were his biggest worry.
“Where am I going to sleep and how would I stay warm? I also worried about where I would eat and get fresh clothes. I learned how to camp out in rest rooms. Then I got smart, and began to sleep in ICU waiting rooms. They offered fold out chairs that turned into beds. I was also given free coffee, TV and newspapers there.”
A female guest had worries that will, I think, resonate with many of us. She said her biggest worry as a homeless person is getting back into society and starting her life over.
She concluded, “I want to acquire a home again and secure a job. I don’t want to die or get ran over by angry people who don’t like homeless people who carry bags around. I also don’t want to be labeled as lazy and worthless.”
Whether it’s “reality based” or not, worry is very real to the worrier. Believe me, I know. But next time you’re worried, please take a minute and think about the worries of a homeless person. So doing might just help you get through yours a little more easily.
