What's Going to Happen?

So that’s the question that’s getting stuck in my brain lately.

I get so many phone calls from people that are telling me their stories and when I’m done talking to them I’m stuck by this question.

Just this morning I visited a house of a woman that has COPD and is maybe in her late 40’s. She bought a very modest house on the SE side of Fort Wayne about 6yrs ago. She told me from day one in the house it’s was overwhelming the amount of work it took to keep it up. Live then quickly changed when she was having breathing problems and turned into COPD.

The projects got beyond repair and she couldn’t keep up or make the repairs. The bathroom walls started deteriating around the shower. The hot water heater leaked and has flooded the house. She just found out the furnace isn’t working properly. She’s got no money. Can’t afford to sell it in it’s current state. What’s going to happen?

She calls me but given the nature of our organization, I don’t have volunteers that are willing to step into these types of projects. I don’t have the funds to buy the materials. I don’t have a contractor on staff that I could push towards that project. I mean, this project could easily be $5,000 - $10,000 in just materials.

So, all I’m left to tell her and so many other that the reality is there is no assistance. No state or federal assistance, and frankly why should their be? There are so many underlying issues in each project and each person, but I believe the neighborhoods and our communities are failing each other.

What’s going to happen? What’s going to happen to Barbara? What’s going to happen to our communities? Is this just an evolutionary cycle that weeds the weak out?

I’m glad that in times like these I can put my faith in a God that redeems.