CHI TOWN

   I couldn't find 1 good picture to put up of Chicago! I love this city. I have been so many times. It is only 6 hours from home (or 5 if my mother is driving) and so dear to my heart. Friends and Family comes to visit us every time we play there. But this time was different.
  This whole time I have been back in Texas, I can't stop thinking about the homeless people. It wasn't normal. Okay, so first I should probably tell you how homeless people have a huge part of my heart. There's something that draws me to them. In the off season, Rob and I have a "Mission" called Mission 108 and we look for homeless people to talk to. We go downtown with our close family and friends and hand out care packages filled with goodies. Mostly shampoo, conditioner, lotions and soaps I've collected from traveling during the season plus some food and anything else that we can stuff down a zip lock bag. It is my favorite time of year. Homeless people have the best stories and the most love to give. In KY the homeless population is mostly men but we connect with low income families of women and children too. So homeless people don't bother or scare me and I have pretty much heard and seen it all. Or at least I thought....
Chicago- Every street corner there was 1 of 2 things. 1. Muslim women holding signs with almost the same exact words. Something like this: "I have two brothers/sisters and my mother lost her job. Please give us money for rent". OR 2. Black women with one or two children sleeping with signs saying almost the same thing. What was weird to me is all the consistencies. After hanging out with homeless people you learn there isn't much consistency. I noticed all of their signs had the same handwriting, all the people I saw were women and children, and  all the children were sleeping. WEIRD! huh?
So why does this matter? Because this wasn't just your typical unfortunate homeless people. One thought kept creeping into my mind. Someone is forcing them to be there. Theses people aren't homeless.... They are hopeless. And it broke my heart. Now this is just purely an assumption and either way homeless or hopeless it still breaks me apart. People are really suffering in this world.
Homelessness should be illegal. Shouldn't the government be responsible for getting these people off the streets. Because if there is even an inkling of a chance that some slave driving abomanation of a being was forcing these people to beg for money for their own personal gain then I think that is the governments business to correct! And while I am not the government you better believe I will be looking into that mess to put an end to it.
The point is this, everywhere we turn there are broken hearts. Everywhere. And sometimes we are just too busy to pay attention. Or maybe it just hurts too much to see the brokenness. I identify to both. We can't ignore all the brokenness in the world forever before we become broken too.
Like Mother Tersea said, "We can't all do great things. But we can all do small things with great love".
Whose going to love these people if we don't?
I encourage you to save up those shampoo bottles you get free from hotels and stuff some zip lock bags with them and some granola bars. Keep them in your car and every time you see someone begging you have no excuse not to give.
Sometimes just paying attention to someone is all they need to get them through the day and all you need to spark a fire inside your heart.
Love People.
HE>i
xoxo
b