Sometimes love can be inconvenient.

I’m sure this holds true for romantic relationships, but this story is actually about the inconvenient love of a non-romantic relationship. Well, it still affects a romantic relationship…allow me to explain.

It’s so cool how God works.  Turns out, after my own birthday wish was fulfilled at this year’s Different Kind of Birthday Party, two other wishes consequently came true as well.  One wish was made by a friend of mine who I didn’t even know battled homelessness, and the other wish was made for the homeless man who had started my journey into a Different Kind of Life.

My Different Kind of Birthday Party this year was not the first time I’d dedicated myself to non-traditional, counter-cultural ways of celebrating.  God has challenged me over the years to lay things down and move on from old ways of doing things.  And one of those things is the way I celebrate.

I keep thinking this story is over.  I keep thinking that this journey I was on with a homeless friend who’s life intersected with mine is complete, and that the previous post will be my last. But God keeps doing more.

I actually didn’t set out for this to become a blog about homelessness.  But that’s what God keeps putting on my heart and bringing into my life, so I guess that’s what I’m going to keep writing about.

I’ve “served” Chicago’s homeless for several years, through churches, organizations, and small gifts on the street.  But it wasn’t until my Different Kind of Birthday Party that I entered into what I didn’t even know then would become real true friendships with people living on the street.  And it has changed me.  For one thing, it has given me a Different View of Homelessness.  But this was just the beginning.

I’ve learned a lot since the Different Kind of Birthday post, because the people that I went to “serve” have now actually become my friends.  Amazing how that changes things; it changes everything.

When we first started hanging out at the tents by the river, people who’d join us for the first time would ask what church or humanitarian organization we were with.  That doesn’t happen anymore, and it would be weird if it did.  I’m grateful there’s not a clear line between those serving and being served.  These are just the people I’ve chosen as friends.  And the good thing about a Chicago winter is you can’t tell who’s homeless because we’re all bundled up in 5 layers of clothing, lol.

I have nothing against birthdays. But it started becoming strange to me that even very mission-minded, others-loving people still feel entitled to this one day that is guaranteed to be: All. About. Them.

Do I need a day that’s all about me? Maybe I’m just in a place in life where that’s not what I want. All I know is, my heart is more alive when it’s not all about me. I feel happier extending love to others than opening gifts and eating cake for myself. For the record though, I have nothing against cake either.