Homelessness

Van Valkenburgh Marianne

Description

I was a Doctor and by the Grace of God I became homeless. I thought it was God's will for me to experience homelessness and to write a book about the experience. This story will give a glimpse of the life of a homeless person and the blessing it had in my life. I learned that I could survive with very little and people would give and help me. It taught me how to receive, yet also how to give.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 15 avril 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781622875573
• Langue: English

Extrait

Homlessness, An Adventure, A Learning Experience, A Gift From God
Marianne Van Valkenburgh


First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
Homelessness
An Adventure
A Learning Experience
A Gift From God

Marianne Van Valkenburgh
Homelessness:
An Adventure, A Learning Experience, A Gift From God
Copyright ©2014 Marianne Van Valkenburgh

ISBN 978-1622-875-57-3 EBOOK

February 2014

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .
I would like to honor two people that helped me with my book so if you could place the following in the back of the book or on a dedication page I would be most appreciative:

Acknowledgements:
- Jack Van Valkenburgh for donating a computer for this project
- Mike Grace for technical computer assistance
Preface

I read in Bible Study Jesus instructed his disciples:

"Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts, take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or staff ..." Mathew 10:9, 10.

It reminded me of the time I was homeless and I had nothing. One by one I lost my bags. I ran out of money, and my shoes had holes in them. I learned that I could survive with very little and people would give and help me. I had not been very good at receiving before. It taught me how to receive, yet also, how to give, as I tried to help the drunks and to share what I had with others.

I went to my Bible Study and the subject of homelessness came up. One person said he never gave to the homeless people because he thought they were all a scam. The preacher responded "'As you do to the least of these, so you do to me".

I shared with the group that I had been homeless. And it was difficult for me to ask. I never had been one to ask for what I needed. I gradually learned that I had to ask to survive. I asked, one day, an obviously poor woman for bus fare and she gave me 60 cents. We talked and I was able to tell her where she could get free clothes for her kids.

I only asked those people I felt guided to ask. And I believe they were blessed by giving. One woman came back, the day after she met me, and said God had told her that if she gave me money she would be healed. There are all kinds of blessings for the giver as well as the receiver.

This confrontation in Bible Study made me think there was a need for me to write a book to share the real story of homelessness.

While I was homeless I thought it was God's will and I was supposed to experience this to grow stronger, and I was supposed to write a book about it. But the time never was right to write, till now.
Chapter 1

"...but we rejoice also in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5: 3.4 NIV

I was walking through the snow, which was my way of passing the night. It was too cold to lie down anywhere. One of the drunks had been brought to the hospital because he had laid down in the snow and suffered the consequences.