Where is my Money Going?

If you are reading this you have probably been given a sheet of paper by a young chap begging or busking. You may be wondering why you were given this, and so this explains what we are doing, and where anything you have given has gone.

Since Sunday evening me and my friend have been voluntarily sleeping rough. We're doing this for three days and three nights until Wednesday. We both have homes to return to at the end of this, but fear not because we are not taking advantage of you or profiting from your money. Anything you have given will ultimately be given to a homeless charity like shelter or city lunches (a church group from the Oxford Community Church and St Aldatess providing free meals for the homeless twice monthly), and nothing will be kept by us - so If we receive £10 throughout the three days we will buy food with it, then give £10 back to one of those charities. If after reading this you regret giving to one of us, or feel used, then please leave me a message.

The post 'homelessless' will tell you a bit more about the plans for these three days however they have changed slightly since that was posted, and I will summarise it here. Sunday night will be the first night sleeping out (probably around Headington), Monday we are spending the day along the river and finding our own food (mostly berries), Tuesday is when we will be living in the city and begging/ busking/ scavenging and Wednesday will be similar to Tuesday except the focus of the day is to spend time with others who are homeless or sleep rough (we may have our own money on that day, unlike the others where we are being very minimalistic). We are doing this for three reasons: firstly to become more grateful for the food and shelter which we often take for granted, secondly to spend some time out from the busy world in which we live, and finally to try and understand what life is like for those for whom homelessness is an every day reality. I will update this section of my blog more after the project ends, but feel free to comment about anything or ask for any more information.

Update:

Since starting this blog I became a Counsellor. You can read more on blog on subjects like Therapy at:

 www.simonslistening.co.uk 

the wanderer

About a week a go I had some free time, and was walking to a friend's house. I had gone down what I thought to be a cul-de-sac to drop something off on the way. In order to reach this friend's home I would have had to have doubled back on myself and follow the road around (adding ten minutes or so to the journey), so instead I just walked in the general direction of the house. This route was certainly more scenic, I wondered across garages, through fields, into a hospital and around before I eventually reached my friend's house (saving time on the journey).


The same kind of thing happened this Thursday. I had just finished work and was going to visit a friend before going to the alpha group (for the last time, which was a lovely evening). The plan was to arrive unannounced, pop in, have a cup of tea, and collect a waterproof that would have been useful for homelessless. Unfortunately the friend wasn't in, and so I decided to walk through to church, where alpha training was being held. I had a little free time, and again new the general direction of church, so I began walking there. Again I decided to just walk there without following the familiar paths and roads, but instead walking through fields and forests. The route was good, got me there quicker and I stumbled across black berries I would have never have otherwise found.


A few things emerged from this:


1) Taking time out
In both cases I had free time. If I was busier I would have got a bus to the places I walked, or be thinking the whole journey about where I am going. Instead I had the free time to really enjoy myself and take that risk in not knowing where I was heading or if it was possible to get through? To get to work I have recently started getting a bus some mornings. The journey takes around forty five minutes, and I have no power to speed this bus up. I have found this time brilliant, it is a time-out I have used to read, relax, unwind and prepare for the rest of the day. If you're reading this try and find yourself just half an hour today, and have no agenda with it. That time can be hugely powerful.


2) The beauty of nature
Isaiah 55 really impacted me,  verse 1-3* caught my attention when it speaks about provision from God for things that are important, but it is verse 11-12* that I have begun to understand this week. Verse 12 is sung regularly as a hymn called the 'trees of the field' at the end of the service. I always thought of it as a nice hymn at the end, which was really exiting as it got quicker and quicker. It spoke about us leaving joyfully and peaceably whilst mountains break forth before God and trees clap their hands at Him - so a bit strange, maybe something symbolic? It's funny, I've only just started to understand what this verse is trying to say. It's saying that when God's speaking to us, and we follow him joyfully we'll look at nature in a new light. We look at the top of trees swaying, we look at heigh things like mountains; we look at the ducks swimming around, the flowers blooming, fruits growing and all the animals going about their lives and we see God. We see these little creatures created by a wonderful God, and how their lives can bring glory to His name. I used to love a quiet time before church in the morning feeding the ducks or pigeons (I lived along the river), there was something amazing about these little creatures. In the same way that this blog says something about me or a signature reveals something about the person signing, God's creation says something about Him, and I think spending time enjoying it can be used as an act of worship. When you get filled with the spirit, every little thing is for God.


3) God guiding in the little things 
There was a safe alternative to follow the man made concrete, it would have been an easy safe option, but I had made that trip hundreds of times. Sometimes our Christian walk can seem similar. We know where we are going, we know what we are called to, how we should be living, what the ultimate ending is. We also know where we are at the moment. We now have a choice, how will I get towards the goal? Will I go a secure safe way, the way everyone else goes? Or will I take a risk, will I go down the path that not that many tread? The most beautiful path, the one full of fruit and new sights? When I went the hard route some times I couldn't see a way, I was near a river and couldn't see the bridge through the trees, or I was along the garages and couldn't see a path, but there was always a way. We can start following the right path that Gods leading us along, and it all seems beautiful. It is all beautiful until suddenly we are unsure where we are, how to get through the next difficulty and why we didn't just take the path we knew. In those times God is faithful, there is a way, and we can trust him even though we are vulnerable in that position.


* ¹ “Come, all you who are thirsty,
   come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
   come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
   without money and without cost.
² Why spend money on what is not bread,
   and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
   and you will delight in the richest of fare.
³ Give ear and come to me;
   listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
   my faithful love promised to David. 


^*11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
   It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy
   and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
   will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
   will clap their hands. 

Update:

Since starting this blog I became a Counsellor. You can read more on blog on subjects like Therapy at:

 www.simonslistening.co.uk 

Another encouragement from scripture

On July 21st I mentioned how my friend leading alpha prayed a verse over me from Isaiah 40:31 when we were all praying for one another. I was surprised and reminded of God's ability to speak through the word because earlier that week I had been singing that verse over and over (*which isn't something I usually do).
'they who wait [or who's trust/hope/ strength is in]  for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;   they shall walk and not faint'.
 It reminded me about God's timing and how when I grow tiered, uncertain, unsure, unfaithful and desperate I can trust in God for renewal. 


Well, the same thing happened today. Earlier that day I had been reading the Bible out in the garden. Isaiah 40 really stuck out to me, and then that very same evening I had an e-mail from my friend about us all meeting up this week (like we usually do). He usually encourages us with scripture, and this week the scripture was also taken from Isaiah 41. Now, there are 66 Books in the Bible and 1,189 chapters so that is a 0.08% chance. It again reminded me of God's sovereign reign over our lives. It reminded me how the Bible is an amazing book. The Bible isn't just an old book about people living thousands of years ago, but it is the living Word of God, and it can speak to us even now. This isn't the only coincidence where I've felt God speaking to me personally, or where the same verse/ chapter/ theme keeps coming up either. God has a profound ability to speak through the Bible he inspired. Its strange, I was a Christian years before I discovered this, and it is only in the last year or so that I've started to appreciate it for more than a book, and allowed it to speak more deeply than any story or self-help guide. 


Anyway, in this case he quoted Isaiah 41:10* that we might trust God and move through our difficult situations with Him. When I was out in the garden studying this chapter (before receiving the e-mail), I noticed that about three years earlier I had put a pen around everywhere in Isaiah 41 (NIV) where I read the word 'strength' (which is also strange, because this is one of the only place I have written in my Bible). It encouraged me that God's strength is there when ours is not. I remember at the time I had highlighted each of these words to show a friend, but never ended up doing it. Out in the garden I thought about God's strength and then at the end highlighted Isaiah 41:17-20* and saved it to my phone.

These five verses reminds me that our situations can be grave, we can search in vain, and it can look hopeless; however, we have a God who cares, a God who can take even the worse circumstances, and turn them (v18) to show his good control over the lives of his people. 




*¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; 
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

*17 “The poor and needy search for water, 
   but there is none; 
   their tongues are parched with thirst. 
But I the LORD will answer them; 
   I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 
18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights, 
   and springs within the valleys. 
I will turn the desert into pools of water, 
   and the parched ground into springs. 
19 I will put in the desert 
   the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. 
I will set junipers in the wasteland, 
   the fir and the cypress together, 
20 so that people may see and know, 
   may consider and understand, 
that the hand of the LORD has done this, 
   that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Update:

Since starting this blog I became a Counsellor. You can read more on blog on subjects like Therapy at:

 www.simonslistening.co.uk 

Homelessless

From 28th-30th of August 2011, three days and nights, myself and Gerald (a good friend from university) will be living on the streets. This is project homelessness, this year's holiday, my time in the wilderness before Bible college, simplicity and vulnerability.

Reasons 


Thankfulness
I recently moved out of my house in Oxford. One of the boxes I used was filled with clothes, so that I could probably survive a month without putting a wash on. A different box, marked miscellaneous, was filled with ornaments, books I will never read and other random non essential items. My room was small, and I had never considered myself a hoarder, but I quickly realised just how much STUFF I have. Now I am staying with a friend, and living from one suitcase, and am starting to appreciate just how rich I am.

It's not just possessions though. According to the global rich list (http://www.globalrichlist.com) I am amongst the top 11.5% wealthiest people in the world, yet I consider myself quite poor. I have a disposable income, and live to a good standard. I can afford to eat three times a day, have running warm and cold water, spend every night in a warm bed under a roof and the NHS will freely aid me when I am ill. Despite this, I still find myself taking these things for granted. When I was younger I used to 'say the grace' before dinner, now I have fallen out of that excellent habit. It is only when I tried fasting that I realised how lucky I am to be eating so regularly.

By giving up our rights to regular meals, a warm comfortable place to sleep, our possessions and money I feel we will learn a deep respect and appreciation for each of these. I am not implying that the only way to be grateful for something is to not have it, but this is an effective way. I remember spraining my ankle once, such that I was limping everywhere. I had never appreciated the ability to walk so much as I did when I could again walk. Giving up everything is symbolic of what I am doing next year in going to KTC, and my hope is gratitude for each and every experience.

Empathy
I want to say that living on the streets is not an impressive feat that we are doing. Government figures show that in 2010, 1768 people were sleeping rough in England per night (http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/rough-sleeping.html#5). Even more people have no stable home, making shelter a constant worry for them. It seems like a big deal for us choosing to do this, but many do it every day without choice. I want to try to understand what it is like for those people for whom sleeping rough is not a choice. Three days is not enough time to do this; we have homes to return to at the end of this, this hope will prevent us being tempted to form negative reality-distorting habits (like alcohol addictions) and it is not enough time to for us to get involved with the culture. What it will do is give us an impression of what people regularly go through via our own short experience, and allow us time to ask those people what it is like for them living it for real.


Isolation
Before Jesus started his ministry he spent forty days in the wilderness to fast and pray (i.e. Luke 4: 1-13). He had just been baptised, and filled with the Spirit. Instead of going straight into his ministry Jesus took that time to focus on God. He relied on God rather than food or shelter. I find the time I spend focusing on God so nourishing, but I always seem to find other things to occupy my hours in the day. Having that unstructured time to rely on God and draw close to him could be great before starting at college. Although I am doing this with a friend, I intend on spending a good portion of each day alone, and these times I want to dedicate to God. I look forwards to being freed from the business of the working life, like all holidays normally do, in preparation for next year.


Plan (these plans are subject to change, please feel free to comment)

Day 1 - The Wilderness
This day will be spent living away from town and other people. We will be finding and gathering our own food and water on this day, then sleeping outside (perhaps building a shelter).The idea behind this day is to prove that others are needed for our survival - no man is an island, especially in a crowded city like Oxford where there are few natural resources. There will be berries and fruit around, but I am expecting to be both cold and hungry on this day. Gerald's interest in survival could be especially useful here.

Day 2 - The City
We will spend this day and night living in the city centre of Oxford. On this day we will be able to talk with others, accept any help they offer, scavenge food, and sleep under man-made buildings. I am eager to experience what it might be like for a homeless person living on the streets on that day. One of the major issues about this day however, that I'd appreciate feedback on, is begging. Currently there are three different ideas:
1) Beg for food and money. This will allow us to understand what it is like for someone to rely on others for provision. We will have no money of our own, and need others money to eat. Any money we get given we will take a note of, then at the end of the three days it will be given to a charity like shelter, or city lunches (i.e. If we make £10 for the day, we will use what we need to eat, and then give the entire £10 to shelter). Anyone who does donate will be given a print out link to this page and some information as to where there money is going. I personally lean towards this option however begging is illegal, not supported by the charities which care for those on the streets and it may offend the others on the street or the people giving money (thus returning money to a charity and allowing people to become aware of where there money is going. It is important to me that we are not a burden to anyone through doing this.
2) Spend our own money. Either find out what a homeless person would survive on each day, and then only spend that, or decide on a fair amount before starting and only spending that amount on food. The idea would be to live frugally to achieve the aim of thankfulness.
3) Busk and work for the money (suggested by Tom). It would require us to return home and get the guitar, then apply for a busking license. In this case we would remain on the streets, but be working for any provisions.

Day 3 - The Culture
Day three will be similar to day two, except it will focus on the people themselves who live on the streets. We may decide to spend our own money on that day, to free time, or buy other homeless people food. The intention is to get to know the people who live there better. To hear their stories, understand what led them to where they are, and how it is for them living there permanently (because three days is not nearly long enough to build an impression of their world).

Update:

Since starting this blog I became a Counsellor. You can read more on blog on subjects like Therapy at:

 www.simonslistening.co.uk