The Maze

Almost every time I discuss with someone what it is that I do for a living I get asked this question: "Why are people homeless?". I usually follow this question with: "Well, how much time do you have?". There are so many ways to answer this frequently asked question, but my favorite is by answering through a story. A story from my childhood of being in a corn maze.

When I was in sixth grade I went with my youth group to a corn maze in Dayton, TN. As we were traveling from Chattanooga to Dayton the adult counselors drilled into our heads the rules of going through the corn maze. The most important of these rules was to buddy up, and to not leave your buddy in the corn maze. It was very important that no one got lost. This was made clear to us before we got on the bus at the church. While we were on the bus, and right before we entered the corn maze. The group that night was composed of mostly high school kids. This left myself and one other boy being the only sixth graders in the group. Which led to us becoming partners. We were now ready to begin the maze. 

My partner and I then approached the corn maze with carelessness and spastic energy. These are emotions are basic requirements for sixth grade boys when they are given any task to accomplish. We quickly came to the first turn in the maze. A decision had to be made on which way to go, The way you discovered which turn was the correct one to make was through answering a trivia question. All of the trivia questions had something to do with the topic of St. Jude's Childrens Hospital. The proceeds from this corn maze went to support the hospital. While this was a great cause, the trivia questions caused a problem for two sixth graders who had zero knowledge about St. Jude's Childrens Hospital. We obviously got lost not soon after the first few turns. This led to some frustration between my partner and I. The frustration built to a point where my partner decided to abandon me. The one major rule of the corn maze was now broken. 

Now that I was alone, without any support or knowledge, I proceeded with trying to find my way out of the maze on my own. I seemed to keep walking around in circles for what seemed to be hours. My calls for help were only answered with silence. With more time came more failure, and more frustration. I was losing more hope as I continued to loose more and more daylight. After passing the same trivia question post for the tenth time, and it now being completely dark, I gave up on the idea of ever escaping. So I sat down in a corner. I thought: "Oh well, at least there is corn to eat. I can survive off of that."

Not too long after all hope had seemed to be lost, I heard some voices approaching. I then began calling out again for help. This time my calls were answered back by someone else wanting to help. I was found. My group of heroes was comprised of a mom and dad and their two younger children. They assured me that they would help me escape this maze, and that they would not leave me stuck here by myself. I was in luck because the mom and dad actually worked for St. Jude's. They knew all the correct answers to the trivia questions. They led me to places within the maze that I had never been able to make it to on my own. My hope was restored. As we continued to progress through the maze other members of the youth group had been instructed to come running through the stalks of corn shouting my name. Eventually I escaped, and I have not gone back through another corn maze since. 

Along with the trauma there is also a perspective to be taken from this story. As I work with those experiencing homelessness it is important for me to hold the perspective that my client's lives are like that maze. Each person's maze looks different. Each one comes with its own unique challenges. There are different turns. There are more or less barriers. Some are shorter, and some are longer. Some are brighter and some are darker. Some clients are going through their maze with others. Some clients have been separated from their team, and are now faced with getting through alone. More information about how to navigate the maze is obtained by some clients, and not others. Mental capacity can a lot of times affect a client’s ability to see and decide which turn is the correct one to take, or how to regroup and turn themselves around after a wrong turn has been made. Some clients have been in their maze for so long that they are now content with sitting down, and settling in to their maze, and calling it home. They think well I can survive off the "corn" that is served at the community soup kitchen. At some point a feeling of not belonging outside of their maze sets in. 

Given this perspective how am I to respond? What is my role? My response is to be the one that runs through the stalks of the maze, to search for people in the uncomfortable places, to run through the barriers. After finding them my role becomes that of the family in the story, to help lead and guide them through the maze, to give information that will assist in making helpful turns, to assure them that they will not be left alone, and that they do belong outside the confines of their maze.

I do not always do a good job of holding onto this perspective, and remembering what my role is. This week was full of different frustrations and challenges that were discouraging. Yesterday after work I decided that perhaps going for a run would help ease my frustration. I have not gone on a run in over a year. So it was pretty rough, but it is what I needed. During the run I decided it was a good time to have a conversation with God. I say a conversation because I didn't want to just talk to Him. I wanted to hear from him too. I kept saying to Him:

 "What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to help these people? I don't feel like I am getting anywhere. God I am so frustrated. Please tell me what I need to do. Lead me."

I suffered through the remainder of the run with my lungs on fire. When I returned to the area where I parked there were papers all over the side of the road from what appeared to be a presentation from TVA. Being someone who grew up watching Captain Planet I knew the Earth needed my assistance so I decided to pick up the pages. The first page I picked up contained God's response to my questions. God's part of the conversation.

Messaged received loud and clear God. I will continue to serve, to seek, to search. I will continue to fill in the gaps. I will go to the cracks that people experiencing homelessness fall into, and help lift them out. I will keep navigating the different mazes. The pictures below represent the various cracks, gaps, and mazes that God has called me to serve the people to make their life better.