Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
The wise poverty warrior knows that this work is not a sprint. Nor really is it a marathon. This is closer to an ultra-marathon with some portions where speed counts. For example, you will work with someone that is trapped in addiction. You must endure long seasons of them lost on out in the world someplace followed by a short feeling of peace when they are coming down. Then the sprint leg of the race happens because for a few short hours they will be willing to sign up for and go to a residential recovery program. The window for this opportunity is often way too short. You will endure life with them as they succeed then fail and then the cycle starts again. One young lady I worked with called it her Hamster Wheel. She would sober up, maybe do a thirty-day treatment program, and then get a job. She is a good worker, so usually she would be promoted, and then to celebrate, she would return to her addiction. She would then lose her job and go all in on her addiction. Then she would sober up.
If you are going to run this treadmill of emotional endurance with them, you will need to care for your own body.
The emotional yoyo will take its toll on your physical self. Many that have chosen to be poverty warriors end up sick more often than they are well. Often, they attribute that to the fact that many that have been homeless are carrying germs and viruses that are easily shared. This might be true. But if we care for our bodies, we are more likely to fend off those germs.
Soldiers preparing to land on Normandy or on the islands of the Pacific, took time to train their bodies as well as their minds. They had to learn that they could endure the rigors of the body stressed to the max from overcoming fear, the physical exertions of carrying gear over rough terrain. When we are a poverty warrior it is not too much different as we press forward into the fray of the war on poverty.
Just like a military style leader the poverty warrior must be disciplined (meek) to care for their body. When I started doing this work, I often medicated the hurt of my chosen profession with junk food. I was often tired and cranky. While this is not a fitness or health book, there are some basics that are important.
First, choose healthy foods. There is debate on what that means but a couple of things seem certain. Reduce the amount of processed foods and sugar in your diet. Aim for zero, though that is nearly impossible. Consider a multi vitamin and lots of fresh water. Also, do some research if you have had addiction issues in your past. Our addictions caused damage to our bodies. We must do all that we can to fix it. For example, my main addiction was alcohol, so I do work on healing my liver.
Second, get moving. Take time to move consistently throughout the day. Use different muscle groups and again keep moving.
Finally, get some sleep. Sleep will help your body to recover and help your immune system to get things done. This might mean that you will miss some panicked calls in the middle of the night, that is ok. Communicate to those that you serve that you are in this for the long haul and if you are going to serve them fully, you need rest. I often recommend that they too get some sleep.
Be strong, poverty warrior.
