"It's Not Your Problem..."

This morning I received a call from my sister. She seemed a little frantic as she was trying to find help for an elderly woman she'd encountered while waiting at the bus stop. I asked her to slow down and explain what was going on. "There's an elderly woman here at the bus stop asking if I know if it's okay for her to sleep here, but it's really hot outside. She has hospital bands on her arms and I'm not sure what to do. Can you take her to the cooling center? I have to get on the bus to go to work," she said. I told my sister I would go pick up the woman and stick with her until we figured something out. My sister was thankful and asked me to let her know once I picked up the woman so she knew she was okay.

We arrived at the Community Resource Center and everyone seemed to be happy and in a good mood. Overall, the staff and volunteers were extremely helpful. Apparently the woman had been there before for help but had, "gone missing" before she was able to secure housing. What I learned from the woman is that she'd gone missing because she'd been in the hospital (the bands were still on her arms). I connected with one of the staff and we came up with a game plan to try and figure out what had been done and what could be done to help this woman.

I'd been with the woman roughly an hour when my husband walked in. He works for the city and knows many of the staff who work at the Community Resource Center. He introduced me to a man whom I understood to be the director of the facility. He seemed nice, but uninterested in what I was doing there. He and my husband walked off and went into another room to chat.

Before I continue, I'd like to note that I'm not just some random person who decided to reach out and help this woman. My degree is in social work and I have a background in psychology. I'm also a certified life coach. I genuinely have a desire to help others find stability and get the help they need. Additionally, as a child, I spent a lot of time homeless. My family was in and out of shelters and run-down motel rooms. I've slept on the street, on the beach, and only God knows where else. Not by choice, I was out on my own around age 12. I know what it's like to be beat down by the world, longing for someone to reach out, lend a helping had, and protect me from a messed up world. By the grace of God, I survived and I overcame. I beat the odds. If God can use me to help someone else survive and overcome, I'm 100% on board.

That said, when I approached my husband and the director a few minutes later, they laughed at my deep empathy for this woman and my desire to make sure she wasn't out on the streets at 5pm when the center closed. The director said, "It's not your problem. That's what we're here for," and he laughed. I told him she was concerned about being kicked out at 5 and not having anywhere to go. He replied, "we are calling ----- and then it's up to them, "again with a chuckle. I was disgusted that both this director and my husband found my care for the situation humorous. My heart was broken. I turned and silently walked away, humiliated and misunderstood.

My husband has never understood why or how I care so much for others, especially those I don't know or who have hurt me in the past. He doesn't get my need to help someone less fortunate, if I am able. There is a difference in helping and enabling, that I understand. This woman was helpless and I wanted to make sure she was safe.

As for the director, I just met him today so I can't say a whole lot other than I think it's crappy to laugh at someone else's empathy and compassion for a person who is genuinely in need. "It's not your problem..." If not mine, then whose? I may not be an employee or volunteer of the center, but I saw someone who needed help and I stepped in, as we all should.

One of may favorite songs is "IF WE ARE THE BODY" by Casting Crowns. Another is "WHAT IF SHE'S AN ANGEL" by Tommy Shane Steiner. Check them out!

More good songs:

Don't Laugh at Me by Mark Wills

Hands and Feet by Audio Adrenaline