Homeless It's Personal How I Found My Purpose in Ministry

By Charles Marion Thomas Jr.

Charles Marion Thomas, Jr. gives personal testimony of how he dealt with finding his independence after several years, being a caretaker for his parents as their health began to fail, and speaks candidly about this reality of epic struggle he endured subsequently, leading to a lengthy period of chronic homelessness and living out of his car. Charles believed that when his parents died he would serve the Lord in full-time ministry while still being homeless. To understand what led to his story, he explains to the best of his knowledge, these events as they happened. His initial experience began when his mother had her stroke in 2002 while she was in school and suffered a brain aneurysm while in class on the left side of the brain that paralyzed the right side of her body. Then later his father died from a heart attack in the house in 2006, and the challenge presented itself. Charles decided to put his life on hold to care for them and run the house. While still lacking stable and appropriate housing, he became homeless through no fault of his own but to serve and honor his parents. In the end, Charles explains how the Lord brought him out of a long journey of homelessness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664193895

Charles Marion Thomas Jr.

Evangelist Charles Marion Thomas Jr. has an accreditation in Christian Workers, Evangelism background and leads a nonprofit men’s ministry called Ministry Mission Circle of Fellowship in NJ.

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Copyright © 2022 by Charles Marion Thomas, Jr.

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Photos provided by personal permission courtesy of the Thomas estate are being used for illustrative purposes only of this book.

Rev. date: 04/28/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

829507

In loving memory

Velma Pryor

Leona Thomas

Jimmy Robinson

Linda Kyzivat

The lesson taught at this point by human experience is simply this, that the man who will get up will be helped up; and the man who will not get up will be allowed to stay down. Personal independence is a virtue and it is the soul of which comes the sturdiest manhood. But there can be no independence without a large share of self-dependence, and this virtue cannot be bestowed. It must be developed from within.

—Frederick Douglass

I refuse to be kept down with the burden of my problem. Because I know my God is a problem solver. Therefore God, who is mighty in power, is able to change every problem, including my homeless problem.

Charles Marion Thomas Jr.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Round 1:   Family First

Round 2:   Discovering My Special Purpose

Round 3:   Persevering

Round 4:   Trusting In God

Round 5:   Still Homeless During A Pandemic

Round 6:   Finding Shelter

Round 7:   A Society That Closes Its Eyes

Round 8:   Thinking About The Future

Epilogue

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you God for another opportunity.

To Reverend Vernon Linzie, my mentor, an experienced and trusted adviser.

To all of my acquaintances and homeless friends, l love you. Thanks for your continual struggles in this ongoing fight, you are still fighting keep on.

To everyone who made me realize that this story needed to be told and brought to light. I’m grateful to all of you who encouraged me to write this book many years ago. My students.

INTRODUCTION

I t isn’t too much to know that you have an aim and are able to achieve it. But you are not sure why! But behavior shapes goals, and offers a sense of direction, In order to create meaning. I know in my case it guided my life decisions to follow my purpose while being a derelict with no home, or job for an extended minimum of time. Sorting out this mission extends tediously beyond a standard duration to realistic terms of where I derived from a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved. At the time I had no thought of wanting to do ministry; this wasn’t something I would’ve considered beforehand prior to seeing myself homeless. All I knew was God had a plan for me in a way that is accurate to life’s purpose. And He allows us to go through this reality to find out what that is. If you do something that leaves you wondering, if whatever you did was intended to clarify matters, to fully achieve its purpose, is evidence where it seems to be leading you.

Without God this story would not be possible. It’s about what He has done in my life. That led to my calling in ministry, while struggling to survive, homelessness. As I think deeply about what kept me for such a long time, it was God’s grace and mercy. These events that took place are real. If I could turn back the hands of time I wouldn’t change a thing, because it was destined to happen. God’s strength allowed me to live through this journey of being a caretaker for my parents; with my mother suffering from a stroke in 2002 leading up to father dying from a massive heart attack in 2006. These fears are the most memorable moments I remember of my storytelling. Being head help in the household. Following causes of hardship, anxiety, and grief.

As a caretaker for my mother, this was very extensive in helping her with personal care: bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting. I was typically carrying a heavy load. I saw my life beginning to take on a whole new direction, and that is what you will discover in my story. I suffered many setbacks but in every adversity, I maintained a positive attitude trusting and believing that God would work everything out.

Because of the obstacles I was faced with being homeless, I was destined to do great things, like finding out what I’m here for. And what I’m supposed to do is why I am here. But why does God choose certain people to go through things? This is what I had to discover, that life is about taking chances. The most difficult lesson is the risk, if you are determined to reach your goal then it’s worth taking the risk. In this instance faith and prayer became part of my story.

I revisit the earlier days of being with my parents living in Teaneck, New Jersey where this story actually takes place and begins. My parents were awesome, I was blessed to have known them as being great role models. Some kids were not fortunate to have both parents in their lives. But I’m thankful to God for allowing me to have mine for as long as I did. My mother and father were very committed to the church as believers and instilled in me the importance of church fellowship every Sunday. I’m also grateful for having a mother who taught me the truth about health as a Registered Nurse, and a father who I could sit with after dinner time and have meaningful discussions about the Bible. My father worked for the United States Postal Service and he worked hard to keep a roof over me and my mother’s head. When my mother had her stroke in 2002 we were hit pretty hard with her condition and other things to follow; not to mention my father’s health beginning to fail. There’s one thing I can say about my mother and father: they were adamant about independence, which was often talked about repeatedly over a period of time.

You had to be self-sufficient, and self-reliant, were values that they taught me. Something I couldn’t get at home with them, but I needed to have for myself. They left a handful of knowledge they wanted me to know about life itself. The strange thing is I learned more after they passed and feel they are still speaking to me today in my current situation. Many things they spoke to me about, I’ve experienced in recent years, are more prevalent now than before when they were telling me the truth back then. My mother felt I was not ready to be on my own and still that might even be true now to this day and time, in 2021 as she knew it before she died. Her predictions were unbelievably true! And my mother was wise beyond her years. She witnessed this a long time ago about me.

And if she could only see where I am now probably, it wouldn’t surprise her. In this story overcoming poverty was my objective, from beginning to end and that never changed. I didn’t like being helpless in a situation, I could change. No longer could I allow my situation to be in the hands of others to help me. This would have to begin with me. It’s my personal problem.

That’s how real this became: things needed to move forward from living rough to finding shelter. Once I became fully aware of this, it drove me to fulfill that need in conquest. Homelessness, the midst of a major struggle for me to prevail throughout an extremely long period of time. Felt unlikely to be a positive goal for me to reach. Seemed to not be clear that this would eventually happen and lasted longer than was first expected. As a result of which, being able to estimate the time of when coming out of this was to no avail; other than continuing to undergo a difficult experience dealing with what was to be done methodically in a step-by-step manner. Gave me a reason to believe that a bad situation will end soon through a long and tough struggle. I truly wanted this to change but it hasn’t been easy instead it came with a lot of recurring issues. When I could see hope of coming out, I got stuck underneath and had to start all over again. That’s how it is with being in this position. I could write a book on homelessness and that’s just what I did, so you could understand how it is to be in my shoes. And the things I’ve been through and have seen through the eyes of others like me it’s a daunting struggle everyday full of problems that subsequently never stop.

Finding Independence was the best thing yet, to help raise my self-esteem to believe in the impossible truth that I can come out of this with God on my side. Once this was clear to me I was not going to be held down with the burden of my situation anymore. I know my God is a provider and I’m going to make it, On account of who I serve. Trying to put everything in perspective was very distorted, it didn’t look like I thought; the model of a positive purpose, believing to be punctual, made me think, how I would be able to complete these additional tasks that were still unclear of my goals. And how to reach them was a situation I had no patience or energy left to cope with. Towards the end it was a tuff hustle but I fought the good fight of faith against my oppressor who tried to bring me down and wouldn’t allow me to rise up out of poverty. I needed to break free from this control it had over me. And being in these adverse conditions was a brutal battle, I endured and went through for many years that led to this actuality. I wasn’t meant to come out of this unforeseeable moment to be reasonably anticipated or bargained for. if; going through the experience means trying to do a little more than what’s allowed, you try to get a little bit more momentum.

Through exertion I come to know my own limits, and strengths. It takes a lot of effort and hard work to build momentum and keep me hanging in there. My destination was to walk away from homelessness. What is driving you to change? Is it being without shelter,! Or something else,! Whatever it is, remain faithful to the end. In the beginning of my story is a normal setting that deals with everyday common problems families go through. And in the process of things you find yourself faced with a tragedy that leaves an everlasting impact.

My story is an unfortunate event that is common and does happen. You may not be as outspoken about it. But everyone has been put in some sort of circumstance they didn’t think they would find themselves in. But as my personal story comes to light I am thankful to God on so many levels that I cannot begin to tell you how good He’s been when I didn’t deserve to be blessed. I’m still blessed.

As you read my story you will discover a loving family struck by heartbreak, devastation, difficulty, homelessness. And in the midst of it all, by God’s Grace and mercy I’m still here! May this story give you new ideas and a strong feeling of enthusiasm. For the love of your family; do what you can to help them, before their time is up. My story is a testimony to how God has continually blessed me after my parents died. I have been loyal to my personal struggle for over eight years and never decided to give up and quit. As I began climbing my way out of this hole which buried me 6 feet (1.83 meters). I saw in my normal state, what my parents were both trying to teach me about being independent that led me to writing this book.

ROUND 1

Family First

I worked for Fleet bank at the time as a driver and courier, delivering messages, documents, packages and other items between offices and departments within a company to other places of business. Loading and unloading goods and sorting goods based on where they need to be delivered. On the road completing my daily routines was a usual task of things. Apart from being under new management, it’s business just as before, and everything was moving along awesomely as I recall correctly during that time. December 25, 2000 I found myself stuck in traffic on 17 South Paramus New Jersey. Along my daily route, as a driver for Consolidated Delivery Logistics, Inc., I was completing my last run of the day trying to finish early so I could get home. That Friday was Christmas Day and I just got paid. Everything seemed to be moving well and I was beginning to pick up speed as traffic was moving a bit faster than usual -- until I plowed into the vehicle in front of me, and was struck from behind furiously, bam!; the impact of the hit triggered off the airbag as it exploded in my face. My first impulse after this happened, was to thank God that I’m alive. And being able to move my body as I stepped out of the vehicle, I continued to thank God for sparing my life, which I had imagined was over! I was devastated by what just happened. I couldn’t stop thanking the Lord for what He had done. . . Thank you, Lord. . . thank you, Lord . . .

The officer asked me if I was alright?

Yes, officer, I’m well.

Do you want to go to the hospital? I was asked, and I replied that I did.

As I walked around the vehicle checking everything out, I remember the smell from the airbag explosion and seeing small particles of glass everywhere like fresh snow had just fallen on the ground. Still I was praising God constantly! I heard of people being seriously injured by airbags and killed instantly on impact and I was a bit rattled by my first encounter. Once again, God spared my life through this tragedy. I believe God allowed me to live through this experience, for a bigger challenge ahead.

The cops called my job. I was picked up then and rushed to the hospital to be treated. My parents were notified immediately. The doctor took a look at my face to examine the cuts and bruises and stop the bleeding. The doctor said there was no immediate danger. And I would heal in time very quickly. Then he told me I could go now but to make sure and follow-up with workers compensation while healing, to which I of course agreed.

Once I was beginning to feel better I filed a Vehicle Safety Complaint against the company I worked for; and my attorney got me a $3,000 settlement for the accident. After the scars healed I was back looking for another job. A couple of months passed and I got a call from a state job I had applied for some time ago. Life was getting better and the future was beginning to look brighter. I bounced right back into circulation again working for a better job which I managed to work at for a few months. The job was at Bergen County Health Care Center in Northvale, New Jersey. As I returned home from my new job, walking down the hill I saw my mother out in the front of the house doing some yard work. She was always busy doing something to spend her time wisely. When I got there, me and my father would take over to complete what she left undone. She would start a mess and leave it for us to clean up when we returned home from work. We would get involved in yard work and find other projects to work around the house. My mother was an unusual character, she would leave little piles of trash in the yard everywhere she had been pulling up flowers and raking in the yard and leave it behind and not put it in the trash as she went along. The most unusual thing I would see my mother doing was pushing leaves out into the middle of the street instead of sweeping them up into a pile and leaving them at the curb-side for Public Works. Instead she would leave the leaves in the middle of the street for cars to run over, thinking this was a positive remedy of getting rid of the leaves. I went outside and said, Mom, what are you doing?

She said, ‘Boy, go inside the house and be quiet!

But, Mom, that’s not right, everyone in the neighborhood is looking at you! As I went back into the house my father would be sitting at the table also looking out the window shaking his head at my mother. When I got inside the house I said, Dad, let’s go and clean up this mess right away before someone calls the cops on us and we get a ticket; he nodded his head and agreed with me.

At the time my mother was on an overload with going to school, plus trying to run the house; between studying and cramming for exams was a bit much. I am not sure if she truly realized the hectic schedule she was carrying at that time. But for me and my father this became clear to us, seeing her traveling back and forth to Newark, New Jersey every day of the week early in the morning at 5 a.m. and coming back at 5 p.m. sleeping on the bus and being totally exhausted when she returned home. I knew something was bound to come to fruition. As a result of this, the college my mother was attending called my father to tell him something had happened: Mr. Thomas, your wife was sent to the hospital. While I was still at work my father then called me and explained what happened when he returned home from working. He told me briefly the highlights of the story but not the whole story. I told my supervisor that there was a family emergency and I had to be home with my family. Then when I got home he received another call from the hospital and I was on the other end: are you Mr. Thomas?

Yes.

Your wife had a stroke!

After I heard this, I was scared and I couldn’t move my right leg. It went numb on me, my whole body froze, and there was complete silence on the phone. It was like we had just found out that she had died. The house was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I began to think the worst and everything seemed to change for me and for my father. My mother’s diagnosis was a cerebral aneurysm’ which is a bulging, weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. The brain aneurysm ruptures, releasing blood into the skull that causes a stroke. Usually, a brain aneurysm causes no symptoms and goes unnoticed. What my mother suffered from in 2002 was very severe. This took place in class, where she was completing her nursing curriculum, at Felician College of Lodi, New Jersey, a private Roman Catholic school. After the news, things began to escalate as the situation worsened. Everything was happening at a very fast-pace, and was totally out of control.

Making phone calls and planning became part of our daily routine of things to do each day. It was burdensome on us both and we didn’t know what to do! But as we continued to endure these challenges things began to settle down and surfaced positively for us to continue working, to find a place for my mother. The crisis we faced was not over but just beginning. One thing we failed to do as father and son was taking time to pray as a family in crisis, asking God for guidance and help. But still God was working in our crisis. We received good news later from the hospital that they had a place for my mother to go and they were calling to let us know she would be sent to Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, New York. I believed, somewhere someone was praying for us. This place was a top rated facility and well-kept and clean. Once I saw the place I was so happy my mother was going there to be treated. She stayed there only for a few months, not long term. During the period of time my mother was away from us, me and my father tried to strengthen our relationship in order to get through this family crisis we were dealing with. Because it was hard on us both and the tragedy we faced made us become a bit distant from each other, causing us to be agitated very easily, and I could sense that we were both taking it pretty hard. But eventually we grew closer through this than ever before. Though our faith was tested we still came in one accord as a family. Yes, we had a few rocky-roads ahead, but we learned to sort through them quickly for Mother’s sake and came together in the end.

I spent more time with my mother than with my father. He worked at Enterprise and had to be at work very early in the morning, so I didn’t see him much, until the evening when I returned home. But he always had time to be there for me. And that is something I never missed growing up. But my mother was the last one around the house I saw before I went to work. Though it saddened me to notice later when my mother got sick, the declining health of my father was beginning to show after my mother had her stroke. This was taking a toll on him, quite quickly. He was burdened