Monday, February 1, 2010

I Don't Mind Tellin' Ya

I'm not a snob. Or maybe I am, but didn't use to be. But I don't mind tellin' ya I am not looking forward to going back to that DSHS building to drop off my paperwork for foster/adopt licensing. It's a three story building, and the welfare office is on the bottom floor. Which means I have to get through that before I get to where I need to go. Out front is the myriad of young teen girls and tough looking old welfare broads smoking, with what appears to be their boyfriends/husbands/pimps?

Don't think I'm too judgemental now. Those are my people. Or rather they used to be. I grew up a welfare kid and spent many an hour playing in the welfare office while my own mom or aunt stood in line or went in for some meeting or other. I grew up eating government cheese and those weird little "chocolate" "food" sticks.

But I'll tell you what, it's been alot of years. I'm not that little welfare kid anymore, whose whole world consists of other welfare kids, drug addcits and alchoholics.
 I don't like it there. But it occurred to me that you can get caloused to that kind of thing and think it's normal and okay. When in fact, it's not. I thought that was normal growing up. My own children would be horrified at the sight of that building and the people who hang out there. Not that they shouldn't be exposed. Really, I think I'll take them next time. Mean, huh? If nothing else they will feel gratitiude for their father and I for giving them a safe, secure, and clean, healthy life.  Mostly so they can appreciate where our babies are coming from and what they may have to return to. To see they are called to love and pray. For them, as well as for the ruffians out front of that building who may or may not be the parents of one of our babies.
Still, though, I don't mind tellin' ya, it's scary going back there.
I have a tough act though- I can still pull it off I think. I learned it from my childhood. Pretend you are not scared, and maybe, just maybe, they should be scared of you. That's the act. ")

Now I realize there are perfectly nice people there too, just down on their luck so-to-speak. But the majority rules out there in the smoking area, and the majority is carrying around a mentality of give-it-to-me-for-free, I-don't-want-to-work. Have you ever seen so many able-bodied men in a hand out line before? What's the deal with grown men, in their early twenties too lazy to work and the government paying them to produce children out of wedlock in their spare time from drug dealing?
Yikes. I better get off this soap box. It makes me mad.

14 comments:

  1. Preach it, sister!! I know what you mean, I've seen it, too.

    Just Friday, my precious, hard-working DH & I had to go to a county building to see if they would pay our electric for a month. My DH was laid off in April & for the last 3-4 months has worked a temp job @ only 1/4 of his old pay. We have lived BEYOND frugal (so, I know what I'm talking about when I write about living frugally on my blog!) & have done our best NOT to go to the gov't. But we had to this month. Anyway, we had to walk thru that cig-fog of ppl waiting for what they felt they are entitled to. It's an odd kind of 'arrogance', isn't it? That's the part that irritates me & makes me so profoundly sad FOR THEM...so many of them have grown up in this cycle that they feel this is completely normal. While WE walked thru the halls TRYING not to feel humiliated &, frankly, hoping we don't see anyone we know.

    But...I'm positive that the Lord will work this out for our good & as a testimony (II Cor. 1:3-4). Who knows, YOU might be brought back there to be a testimony to those who are there as to how good their lives CAN be!

    Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

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  2. KIm, thanks for sharing, and may the Lord richly bless you and your husband in every way. He is a provider and a giver! He loves to give. Let's ask Him!

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  3. Dayln, I'm SO glad you were able to break out of the cycle and are passionate about helping the babies who are born into this kind of live. May the Lord bless you greatly!

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  4. Just show off that tat on your leg.. you'll be fine :) Does this mean you might get babies with a drug addiction? That would be quite challenging but if anyone can do it it's you, my friend. Love ya,

    Jess

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  5. Clap clap clap!!! Thought I was the only one on that soapbox!! Very true, thanks for sharing!!

    I always find it interesting how people can live off of the government for food, etc., but then have lots of money for clothes, hobbies, vacations, and cigarettes. Just doesn't add up to me when we are scrimping, working, and doing without so much trying to keep it all going even with work hours cut.

    Yes, Preach it sister! I think of the verse that talks about the sins of the father being passed down to the children, but there is a limit to the generations. Imagine how God is using you to break that chain, not only in your life, but the lives of the children He has planned for you.

    We live by the verse "If you don't work, you don't eat". Even if it's homegrown green beans and farm raised hamburgers again, we give thanks to God for it.

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  6. you still scare me! But I know better now;)

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  7. I am so with you on this one. I have heard people in the dole queue talking about which shop they're going in to steal stuff once they've got their dole money! And I know a lot of people who do everything they can to avoid work, but still manage to have a mobile phone and Sky TV and borrow money to maintain these things - it's mad.

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  8. Perhaps you're the perfect person to be there, Queenie. Someone needs to show them that there is a better way. Who better to tell them than someone who has been there, but NOT stayed there! :)

    If they don't know Christ, what else do we expect from them? The world teaches us to expect things to be easy, free, etc. We are entitled to "the good life", right?

    Instead of the tough act, perhaps putting on Jesus would be safer ...

    Bless you dear lady,
    Catherine :)

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  9. e! Thanks and you are so right...but there are some people you just "know" you have to be tough for. In some situations there isn't room to be too nice. Any one of those "tough" epople would be more receptive alone. That's the time I let Jesus shine. The times I might be mugged or something, well, I resort to tough *U* love ya!

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  10. OK ... please don't get mugged ... be a tough girl when it's needed LOL!

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  12. I so much agree with all that you said. I remember one time my SIL said that she was going to get pregnant again so they could get more money. And that's just what she did. Finally after number five she stopped because her mom wouldn't keep the kids anymore.

    Yesterday, I was asked to give money to cover the cost of school lunches for a couple of our students. Of course, I was glad to help but know that mom could give up a few bad habits to feed her kiddos. What are people thinking these days or were they raised to believe that everything should be handed to them...free of charge, work, or whatever.
    Regina

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  13. Ditto. I didn't grow up on welfare, but have seen a lot of negative effects on the lives of those around me.

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