Homeless Mondays - "Luke"

I tried to speak to "Luke" he was spitfire mad( many homeless are) b/c he can't get a job, insurance, assistance of ANY kind, without an ID. He's from NY, he's clean from Heroin, he is "Afraid" to go back. Sweet Luke was told by "the system" he must go BACK to NY to get his documents, no ride, no money, and no possible way to get there....on his own. Secondly, its not the truth. We can get his documents from NY here in Va. little more work, a lot more money, and A lot more time, but we can do it. He was so PISSED, he would NOT listen to me, SO ANGRY, SO HURT!!!!!
It took a few minutes, but I finally got him to sit, by the time we were done talking, tears were running down his face, I was rubbing his sweet face, just like I would my own 22 year old son who is sad for reasons that don't even come close to this sweet babies. Luke's worries are so real, and so hard, and so NOT FAIR, you cannot even wrap your brain around them, and guess what, he looks like my children, he could be yours.
A Little tiny back ground:
"Luke is 24", no job, no family here, off heroin for only a short time, and if you know anyone with a addiction(addictions come in ALL families, they are not "exclusive") he is Terrified he's going to "fall off the wagon"; and we are not talking just any drug, heroin is Powerful and Pleasing, esp. if your life really is full of pain and has no purpose, and you have ZERO FAITH!
"Luke" was adopted at 6, molested by a powerful family member, siblings age 6, 4, 2, all given to the system, same time, split up & adopted, never saw them again. He's a "cutter", he feels very little, he's so out of control, he is spiraling down so fast, he will be lucky to be ALIVE in one year. What reason does he have to live? Right before he left NY, his dying mother(born 1964) gave him train fair with his promise he'd get clean, she died of cancer, he wasn't there. He has not spoken to any one in his family in years, remember, "Luke is a mere 24."
In Va., no ID, Living in the woods, first time at homeless monday's, so angry he's hard to speak to, and if you are hard to speak to, no one cares, and you push any possibility of help away. His "autistic girlfriend" is pregnant, 6 weeks. "I'm so stressed, I cannot get her to help herself, go to the doctors, go see her case worker(they are in the woods together, in the elements) and last night we had a fight and she "LEFT" in the middle of the night! "She scared me to death", I'm not sure I can do this!"
So what do you say? I'm not sure you are going to make it my friend...is what I'm thinking. I told him I can help him get his ID, quickly SNAPS BACK "NO YOU CAN'T!" I can. "No ONE Can help me!"I said: If you trust me with ALL your personal information, I want to try, please. He gives me ALL his info, we sit down, he tells me a 4 minute glimpse of his life, most( or I better say many) of us cant even sit and listen to our OWN kids 4 mins we are so BUSY!
I took his number, ALL I committed to was "Trying" to get his documents, so he can get a $10.00 Va. I.D......You guys have no idea the hurdle we place on individuals just to get an ID! We are not even talking a Drives license, just a simple Identification card.
This sweet, little broken boy, who has cut marks on both arms, who wants to take your head off, who has a dead mother, no father, adopted at 6, never knew what happened to his siblings, no connection to ANYONE....wants a $10 dollar ID to work! We are so ridiculously screwed up in this city, we make it nearly impossible for our friends to get off the STREETS, even when they want to...and now, he has a pregnant (autistic) girlfriend, who he Loves!
My head was spinning. At first he just wanted a belt. "I just need a belt" he barked. Another homeless man took HIS out of his bag, and gave it to him. Grace. Pray for our friend. I pray I can really get his documents, I pray I do not pummel the DMV with a smart bomb( makes you understand smart bomb). I pray God does something big with this baby boy, the odds are so against him. I knew another kid like "Luke" he came into my life for almost 2 years, and his story was so similar, Joe killed himself at 20 while I was in Haiti.
What will happen to our sweet "lukie?"
My final words as I stroked his sweet little face( his beard) was "your mama loves you" and "God gave you a redeeming purpose" and "You are NOT going to get any help being so angry at people!" "I know why you are ANGRY, you are broken just like ME, but you are empty brother, and you need your cup filled!" Please, be patient, take care of YOU first, and I will try to help you get ONE $10.00 ID! He walked off with his bologna sandwich and his applesauce.....starving.
Just take note: my 22 year old son eats 4000 Calories a meal as an athlete, Luke is eating his bologna sandwich. Heartbroken for our friends, "Please Lord help him!, I pray.