TERRANCE

I was wanting to share and blog about the park. It has been a long time since I have shared and wanted to catch people up on the things going on down there, but I wanted to share about Terrance. He has been on my heart for the last few weeks.

Two weeks ago on November 10, I happened to turn on the evening news and found that on that day they found Terrance. Terrance was 51 years old and had been on the streets for a while. I had seen is face around the park, but had never really engaged with him. I found out that night that he had climbed into a bale of waste paper at the recycling center and was crushed to death.

The news said they don’t know why he climbed in the container. I know it had been raining for days and weather had turned cold. The shelters are sometimes full and there are many just trying to survive outside in the streets. I really feel that Terrance, maybe not having a place to go and get out of the cold and rain, climbed into the recycling bin. Under the piles of paper he would have been dry and much warmer than sleeping on the streets somewhere.

I write about Terrace, because all the news referred to was that he was some homeless man, nothing more. As I think about Terrace the last few weeks, my heart hurts for the loss of this man. Yes, I really did not know him, but at one time he may have been someone’s husband, father and he was someone’s child. Most of all he was not just some homeless man; Terrance was a beloved child of our God.

Terrance could have been anyone of my friends without homes, on any given day. I wish I had the chance to throw my arms around him and let him know he was loved. When I go to the park now on I will hug a little harder and say “I love you” a little more often. You will be missed Terrance!