Heartsafire

During the holidays we join with friends and thank God for all the blessings we've received during the past year.
The year began with me incarcerated for something I didn't do.
I pondered why I was being tested.
When I was released after 107 days I suffered some more.
Finally I reevaluated my goals in life and finished my series of articles on homelessness which were published for a week in May.
Then, I still wondered what's next?
The next turning point in my life occurred when I attended the Homelessness Awareness rally at the UofA.
A man sat down beside me and gushed with praise for my articles. Unbeknownst to me, he was a blessing from God.
We talked that night about how Fayetteville's churches were very supportive of the homelessness and feeds every day of the week.
In contrast there's no such support group in Benton County.
I fell asleep underneath a tree without a blanket or a tent.
The next morning another man approached me and casually said, "I want to help. I just don't know how."
I remarked that there was no place to go for breakfast on Saturdays because Seven Hills shut down on Saturdays.
He kindly asked me if I cared to join him for breakfast.
I know God's hand was involved in that conversation.
I've been blessed ever since.
Nate Allen, who offered me my first job at the Springdale News, intervened again when he engineered an alliance with Norm DeBriyn, who proffered a helping hand at Ruby Tuesday's.
Norm gave a highly favorable recommendation to Curt Yates who oversees the ushers at Arkansas sporting events.
Then, Norm saw me at the Arkansas-Auburn football game and praised Curt for hiring me and helpfully asked him if I was going to be ushering at basketball games.
Eventually I acquired Lady Razorback basketball games, too.
So, what do I have to be thankful for?
Nate Allen, Norm DeBriyn, Mike Rusch and his brother Ryan, Brian Smith of the Campbell Soup Co., Aaron Elleman of Saatchi and Saatchi, Rob Apple of Disney, and another marketing whiz who desires anonymity.
All these good fellows made my life more tolerable and easier to adapt to life's vicissitudes.
They reestablished broken links to a support network which have made my life much more serene.
I still struggle with life's challenges but keep the faith that sooner or later I'll understand why I'm still homeless.
I firmly God is using my writing talents to enlighten.
Last, but probably the greatest influence on my renaissance from sleeping in the back seat of a car to a tent, is Kent Marts, editor extraordinaire.
Originally I went to him seeking an article I'd written about Frank Broyles to try and break back into the journalistic circle.
Kent quipped, "David, why don't you write about homelessness."
That adventure led me through a myriad of experiences including: sleeping in the woods during the remnants of Hurricane Ike, trekking and slip sliding and almost drowning in a gully washer, enduring Pepe LePew's interloping in my tent, and now facing eviction from a camp site.
So, what's it all about?
I don't have any of the answers, but I'm still striving to understand the deep mysteries of life.
With God on my side and with the altruistic Christian aid of friends I will persevere and continue to document the vicissitudes associated with sleeping in a tent.
Too bad the police don't read this and try and understand how it feels to be awakened at 1:30 a.m. and accused of trespassing.
In conclusion, Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and relatives who've conversed via e-mail and Facebook.
Hopefully by Christmas it will be better to give than receive.