[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Church Housing Trust has created a small Lent devotional card for Christians to use as a resource.
We all need refuge – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We need a place where we are safe and nurtured; somewhere we can call home.
An increasing number of people do not have a refuge. They are sleeping in doorways, on night buses, or in tents and sheds. Some do have a roof over their heads, but it is not safe or secure. They have nowhere to put down roots and find emotional support.
Being homeless means losing your foundation and security. Quickly, your confidence and hope wither, and you become excluded – an outsider.
Once you are homeless, especially if you are sleeping rough, it is very hard to rejoin society. You are dirty, cold and hungry. Your possessions get lost or stolen, you face abuse and violence, and your mental and physical health deteriorate.
Martin’s story is an all-too-familiar one
Martin was placed into care at an early age by his mother. He has a learning difficulty and she could not cope. Although he had siblings who were not put into care, she could not handle his behaviour.
Being rejected like this was extremely difficult for Martin, because he did not understand why his mother did not want him and he couldn’t be part of their family.
After leaving care, Martin ended up on the streets for several years, turning to drugs and alcohol for comfort. At present, he is in hospital recovering from septicaemia. He will then be given refuge and provided with one to one support to address his addiction issues in a hostel supported by Church Housing Trust.
Martin needs clothes, as his are falling apart from wearing them constantly on the streets. His last period of homelessness lasted almost a year. He has lost weight, and most of his clothing is too loose.
Just £80 will buy Martin underwear, socks, trousers, and tops to give him confidence and comfort when he gets out of hospital. He can then begin his journey to establishing a secure home of his own.
The journey back into society, and to establishing a home, is different for every individual.
Thanks to our donors we are able to fund bespoke help for individuals of all faiths and none. Like Martin, they each receive what they need to rediscover a sense of self and purpose, and to set them on the path to finding a secure place to call home.
We enclose a Lenten devotional card that uses verses from the Psalms to explore the subject of refuge. There are many references in the Bible that portray God as our refuge, using images such as a rock, a fortress, a shield, and a bird sheltering her young under her wings.
As we journey through Lent let us thank God for the refuge we find in Him, and remember those who have no refuge.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_text_separator title=”Download Lenten devotional card”][vc_single_image image=”6865″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://churchhomelesstrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Tri-fold-prayer-card.pdf”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
