The Face of Homeless: In Honor of My Hero, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I was not fortunate enough to have met the honorable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., yet he is probably one of my greatest influences and inspirations of all time.

One of the first questions people usually ask me is, "what inspired you to want to help the homeless"? I will tell you, at first, it was simply that I saw someone homeless, and felt a natural concern and urge to want to change their circumstance. I recognized this reality of homeless people as an injustice, and I felt the weight of the problem, even before the problem became my own. I imagine there are just people, like Dr. King himself, who are born with the natural instinct of a hero--You see someone with a problem, or a circumstance you know isn't right, and you NEED to fix it.

When you think about it, there are 3 categories that every person can be put into...

1. Those who make a difference & try to fix the problem.

2. Those who choose to ignore the problem or make excuses.

-and-

3. Those who add to the problem & make things worse.

Take a moment and think about which one of these categories you fall into. I'm not asking you to tell me the answer; just be honest with yourself about this one.

The reality is that there is a problem; there always has been. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. saw multiple problems in America. He stood, first, for Civil rights; Equality for men and women of all races, because he saw the problem--the way people of color were treated compared to their white counterparts. People remember Dr. King most for this, but he also stood for Economic rights as well. In fact, when he was gunned down, he was in Memphis, TN for the purpose of supporting a sanitation worker's strike as a part of his "Poor People's Campaign". Dr. King was clearly one of those people who would work to fix a problem, wether it was his own or not. Some of us just cannot live with ourselves if we don't try to make a difference, and many of us, like Dr. King, will die trying.

I've always fallen into the 1st category I listed. I was the person in school who was quiet, until I saw someone else being picked on, then, it's almost like I became someone else, standing up to any bully for a complete stranger. This personality was already engraved in me, and only grew stronger when I had the privilege of experiencing homelessness for myself.

... Go ahead and back track if you must, but you did read that right!

I said... "I had the privilege of being homeless".

Although it was not a life I chose, or wanted, especially for my children... in hindsight I now understand the "why" that I'd asked God so many times. We always ask God "why is this happening to me", but we rarely pay attention when He answers us. I simply choose to see the why and live in the purpose and calling God has clearly placed on my life.

Sure I already had a heart for the homeless and would have tried to "be the change I wish to see" no matter what... but I never would have known first hand how extreme the issue of poverty and homelessness really was. I never would have known how many organizations don't really help the homeless, until I needed them to help my own family. I never would have learned to be so grateful for every single luxury I have, had I not had to do without so many times. Therefore I consider it a privilege to have "walked a mile in those shoes".

I often find myself wondering if this self-inflicted obligation to make a difference in the world is a blessing or a curse. If I had the opportunity to meet Dr. King, I would ask him this question, because I know he would understand what I mean--and even though I can't ask him, I know just what he would say. Even after being arrested so many times; he and his family being threatened; being beaten; and even assassinated; I know if he was given the choice, he would do it all again--because people who fall into category #1, who need to make a difference, will insanely sacrifice in order to do so... It's just the way we are wired.

So today I dedicate my blog to my hero, the only person I've never met who I know understands me, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yes, when you ask me what inspired me to want to help the homeless... people like Dr. King, who never ignored a problem so great, are what inspired me. I can only hope to make even a fraction of the impact that he and countless other heroes made for generations to come!

Thank you!