Today is a special day, a day where folks that were able to go serve on a mission trip whether local or far away spoke of their experiences. They spoke of how God was there and they saw God in a new light. I hope to someday be able to go on a mission trip. I hope to take photos and capture the moments for others to experience. Missions and the storytellers hold a special place in my heart. It is the storytellers that are out there and doing. Doing for others that can't do for themselves. Their stories touched my heart in so many ways.
Today is a special day for me.....today is my sister, Heather's, birthday. Happy 47th birthday Heather. This day makes my heart hurt. My sister is homeless. I speak of her often. For years I was ashamed to say that I had a sister that was homeless, however I have learned by speaking of her to others makes the homeless, health insurance and mental health issues real for many people. I have had people tell me to go get her off the streets. Where would I start to look? How do you help someone that doesn't want help? The pain for my parents is so unspeakable, I'm sure there are nights they lay awake and wonder where she is and what she is doing. The pain of this day for my parents has to be unbearable. I'm sure for my mother it is the flashback of holding her newborn and memories of watching her grow. The memories for my father watching her mental illness take over. Such pain.....I wish I had the sister I grew up with. I loved her so much. But when the mental illness took over I didn't know that person any more. Heather was gone. When she decided to go to the streets, the phone calls were insane and I didn't know how to help.
How do I help? I do what I can for the homeless. I try to make others understand what troubles the homeless have. I try to teach people that they are people too. Not just some bag of bones, warm blooded creature living on the side of the road hoping for a hope, a prayer, an answer. I reach out in true hope that someone will reach out to her. I had spoken years ago to a woman who had known my sister in the Texas homeless system. (Not hard to recognize my sister as she is two inches shorter than me). Said she was a smart girl and couldn't understand why she was homeless. Mental health was my reply and she said sadly there are too many that suffer from that.
So today as I listened to the Storytellers tell their stories, I felt blessed to have a home church that cares for others that can't do for themselves. I was glad to hear their stories on this day. Her birthday. I hope someone tells her happy birthday or maybe give her a cake. I hope that she even recognizes that today is her birthday. Too be very frank....I hope that she is alive and that someone see's her hazel eyes and gets inspired to help others.....become Storytellers.
Happy Birthday Heather!!!! I love you so much and miss you.
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