Had a guest high on crack have to leave a few nights ago. He wanted to fight another guest.
Guest being kicked out: "I'm going to beat his f***in' ass!"
Me: "Now come on, you say you're a man of faith, and that's not what Jesus would do. Time to leave. I'll even give you a ride to a place that will take you in."
Guest: "Jesus would beat him! Like how he did with the moneylenders!"
Me: "Yeah, but that was in his father's house. This is my house. Jesus wouldn't do that in my house."
Guest: "Yeah, okay, I get that."
I was glad he got that, because I had no clue what I meant. Just another fun day at the sober living home, if by "day" I mean one in the morning!
So. Yes, we've been back up and running for a month and half now. Even keeping full, though it takes some work to get another in as soon as one leaves.
Like today, I called a guy who I had turned down two days ago for lack of room. He'd been referred to me by another sober living home Program Supervisor. That happens some time. He was glad we had a spot open up, we were glad to not miss yet another Program fee.
The frustrating thing with the guy we had to boot was that we had gave him several weeks free, rides to get his ID, rides to find work and rides to and from work till he could get his first check.
Guess he must have got that first check, but pity that he blew it on crack. And a pity that it was for us, financially anyway, a dead loss for the month and a half he'd been with us.
This morning, after three hours of sleep, I got up at six am, got ready and went to the warming shelter I'd dropped him off at 1am. So I could take him to work. Though I advised him that he'd need to find someone at work to give him a ride for tomorrow and the other days.
Me: "How you feeling after a night's sleep?"
Him: "I'm just fine."
Me: "I'm sorry to hear that."
Him: "Why?"
Me: "I'm sad that you're not feeling regret, that will probably hurt you more than just getting kicked out did."
Him: "I've nothing to regret!"
Me: "You fought one guest and stole from another. You used drugs in my house. Aren't those regrettable things?"
Him: "It was just pot."
Me: "If I pretend that was pot, then pot is still a drug."
Him: "Not a bad one."
Me: "I'd say the worse drug of all is any drug Satan convinces you isn't really a drug. So pot qualifies as pretty bad. But what about the stealing? The fighting?"
Him: "I'd have paid him back. And that other guy had it coming."
Me: "You've an answer to everything, and it's everyone else's fault. That's why I'm sad. That's going to hurt you all your life, till you change."
Him: "Daddy gave me this as just some trial, He tests me like that. I'll be fine."
(He always calls God "Daddy", I find that annoying and reverse pretentious in the extreme.)
Me: "I disagree about God doing this to you."
Him: "You think I'm lying?"
Me: "No, sadly I'm sure you feel you're telling the truth. But the only thing God really gave you was a great opportunity with us to grow and improve. You had a place to stay, you got your ID, you got a job, and you threw it all away."
Him: "I still got my job."
Me: "And I will pray you keep it. I'll pick you up at 4. I'll keep your stuff for you till you find a place. Try hard to find a ride for tomorrow."
Him: "I do appreciate that. See you."
But in spite of that, we're happy. We had another space available that we couldn't use, as we were missing a box spring, but with the aid of two timely donations, we got that, and with the bed frame and mattress we already had, we've found another to aid!
So we went from four guests to three guests to two guests to now five guest in two houses, all in a week and a half, and all the beds and sheets and pillows and such they need! Though I annoyed my wife again, as the latest guest had no towel, so I - yet again - gave him one of ours. We go through a lot of towels that way!
This latest latest guest was a group effort. An Oxford House rep recommended him to me, and so did the Sally Army worker who was letting him stay a couple of nights till he could move in here. And a local pastor who knows of our work paid the first week. So he's safe from the cold now, and has everything he'll need.
Toilet paper from yet another church, towel from us, bed from donations, food from the pantry, toiletry kits and such. We made many stops before getting him home. But I know all the resources in the area, so we are well equipped to get a person set up fast.
It's thus been a fly by the seat of my pants week and a half, losing two guests and getting three more, but that's how it goes. (The third was a former guest, who needed us again and when arriving said, "I feel like I've come home. At least I'm safe here." That touched me.)
And we mostly get fees from the guests to keep the lights on, and often do not, but we keep the lights on regardless with our own funds and donations from nice people.
So we're humming along now! Ready to start saving for some spring repairs, like gutters and exterior painting and such! And ready, also, to think more about our dreams for a third home!
