Journey of the Streets

By Gary Miller

I didnt have a clue what God had planned for my future, which was preparing me for not only just a mission field relating to the homeless, but so engraving into my heart and mind, by personal experience it ended up, the way most of them feel about their circumstances. They all have their own story. I know I have mine as well. I discovered we had a lot in common. We really did! Most of us worked together on different jobs, we shared the good and bad stories of our lives, our hopes and dreams as well. When we found others we could trust and get along with, we had a tendency to camp together. I was a born again Christian and liked nothing better than to share, with those who were receptive, my faith and hope in Jesus Christ. Some werent interested, but those who were we were able to form a pretty tight bond. I was establishing a good re-pore, reputation, over the days, weeks, months and years I worked with some of them. I only lived the homeless life because being an unskilled laborer as I was, minimum wage was never enough to even seriously think about trying to get an apartment and work as sporadic as it was, I needed the money for necessities. Id go for days on end with no money. It was rough, very rough. Because of growing respect for me and my faith I was able to lead some to a personal faith-relationship with Christ, and this was the climax of my life, when that would happen. Living out in the elements, for years, sometimes in less time, depending on the individual, takes its toll on ones physical health and ability to work every day, as one would hope to. Some would get sick, some would get injured, some would get robbed and left for dead for someone else to come across them later on. The rain would soak you, the cold would freeze you, sickness would seem like a living hell; crying wouldnt help anything. Church people said they loved us and treated us with utter condescending jeers- it made a person heart-sick and soon it would make a person start to wonder if there was really hope for things to get better. I grew angry, not for myself, but for the others, whose lives seemed to be in the balance of life and death on a daily bases; and I sought out God as to what I could do to make a difference for THEM. I went church to church pleasantly, but urgently seeking for them to contribute money to help missions that help the homeless find work and a real place to live; but I was laughed at, I was cruelly ( by supposedly up-standing pastors), mocked, and I was lied on. This infuriated me, but I kept it to myself. In time God began to work in me what now I see as a writing ministry, now that I have my own place to live, and I still go to Bible Study meetings weekly, to stay in contact with those Ive known for years and to meet the newer ones. I see tangible evidence of God moving in their lives, and helping them get places to live and I see smiles on their faces now... PRICELESS smiles! This my reward, THANK GOD FOR THAT!!! Enjoy the book JOURNEY OF THE STREETS!!!!!!!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781469114118

Gary Miller

Gary Miller has written a weekly column for newspapers and regional magazines across much of the country for twenty years. His brief stories about hunting, fishing, the outdoors, and faith have resonated with readers, both young and old. His unique way of inserting faith and simple goodness into his articles has kept readers coming back year after year.

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Copyright © 2011 by Gary Miller.

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Contents

Introduction to Journey of the Streets:

10-13-2009

Awesome Things Are Happening! 9/1/2011

Can God Use a Child?

09-10-2009

First Stop- The Heart of the Homeless-

First Stop, a Refuge for the Homeless 2-20-10-

Greetings-(9-2009) –

09-02-2009

Hey Cris-

09-18-2009

02-15-2010- In Our Weakness-

9-28-2009

01-22-2010-

June, or July 2010

The God of Action

To Children of All Ages

09-09-2009

Look into My Eyes

What Do We Prize the Most?!

Introduction to Journey of the Streets:

Being born and raised in a wonderful state like Kansas provided me with the room to explore all of its wonders out in the local countryside on the weekends, when I wasn’t in school, or helping my dad at the feed store. My folks gave me a lot of space- not very many limitations at all. The only real requirement was that I let them know where I was going to be. It felt good inside to know they trusted me.

Scouting became a part of my life. My mother was a den-mother in Cub Scouts and the boys who belonged learned all about crafts and the like. She made it fun. Those were the days, when parents cared about making sure their kids had life skills, even some survival skills, for the times they would be out in the country on a camp-out and someone would get injured- Scouting was big on first aid.

Then came Boy Scouts where we earned merit badges for every different thing we learned. We learned Morris Code; using a flashlight or making tapping noises to get help if we ever would need to; how to build a fire using a flint rock and the fuzz off the bark of a tree, or too to start a fire using a magnifying glass; we learned to mark the trail we walked so we could find our way back. So many cool things!

All the things I learned as a child would one day prove to be so helpful many years later in my life!- the years I write about in this book, the twenty documents that fallow, what I call JOURNEY of the STREETS.

Some of the documents in this book where written when I was yet homeless and for the first time becoming physically unable to work for health reasons kept me from continueing to be able to support myself.

Everything I write is for the soul purpose of bringing all the glory, honor and praise to JESUS CHRIST my LORD!

10-13-2009

I’m not one that is a creative writer, and really, I’m not a writer; but when I do write there is such a strong unction of God’s precious and wondrous Holy Ghost that He gives me the topics. The topics He gives me to write about basically relate to attitude, and this topic causes me to chuckle, often, not at others, at myself. When I sit down to write my brain is blank. However, because I am plugged in to God’s power, and His program, and He has taught me how to access His will for me for this article, I know what He wants me to do, to Call On Him; and because I delight in glorifying Him I begin to praise Him, telling Him how much I love and thank Him. I ask Him to take control of every thought, action and deed that I undertake, and to put a watch on my attitude. I ask Him to give me what He would want me to write; and that I do: His instructing me, using my style, working together, for one purpose, reaching the lost, and encouraging His flock…….. People need a kind word from another person. But we may say, How am I to know if I can trust them? So, sometimes we just act by sight, and pass by an opportunity. God doesn’t position signs to hover over people He wants us to speak to, He expects us to operate by faith, demonstrating to others, (not our own goodness), but His nature, freely giving, manifesting those things that exhibit His characteristics, which will impart comfort and hope and peace to the down-hearted, the depressed, the sad, those who may feel, What’s to use! Some may think, Well, they are not even trying to better themselves. So it’s not going to make any difference. But believe me, it DOES make a difference! Even when the other person reacts as though they are rejecting your efforts. Then the issue changes to how we feel about their response to our efforts; fore if our motives were Godly we shouldn’t have become offended. Luke 4: 18 …to heal the brokenhearted… was part of Jesus’ ministry, and it should be ours; if it isn’t, who are we patterning our ministry after? When we know to do good, and do it not, it is What? I’ll give you a hint, it’s spelled with three letters and it starts with S……. A lot of what I write is not written to everybody, but more toward, To Whom It May Concern. I’m really not a madman out to stick-it-to any one I can. God has taught me to love everybody, even the contrary, and I do, because though it is not natural to love those who may be hateful, spiteful and plain ungodly, it is Spiritual and Godly because God would that all be saved; so in spite of the fact that what I write can seem to be quite sharp at times, it is written in the mind-set of a higher purpose and intent, to wake up, and bring to light to those dwelling in the deepest darkness of stereotyping certain others who they consider lower than dirt. Through God people can change!……. "Heavenly Father, I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, that You bless them with Spiritual as well as physical strength to use for Your glory in distributing kindness