T.A. Robertson
“You bet you want to medicate your pain, your thoughts, why things are the way they are. I mean honestly, when you get to those points, when you start getting those questions asked to you about do you want to stop, why are you doing it, that’s when you really got to just be honest. If you enjoy getting high and enjoy staying where you’re at, well this is where you’re going to end up eventually – to your enjoyment because it’s going to turn into this and I’ve already done it. I’ve already got high, I already did the addiction, I did the garbage can, the homelessness. Now, you’re saying that you’re liking what you’re going through? I’m letting you know why you’re in that process. if you need me, I’m there to feed you, I’m there to give you whatever the Lord tells me to do for you, but I’m not going to get personally involved in that act. For all that you may experience, I can discern and know what I’m supposed to do.”— T.A. Robertson
T.A. Robertson found hope in the midst of homelessness. He tells his story and explains practical steps we can take to share hope and opportunity to the homeless that cross our path everyday.
21: T.A. Robertson – Hope in Homelessness – #isharehope
“You bet you want to medicate your pain, your thoughts, why things are the way they are. I mean honestly, when you get to those points, when you start getting those questions asked to you about do you want to stop, why are you doing it, that’s when you really got to just be honest. If you enjoy getting high and enjoy staying where you’re at, well this is where you’re going to end up eventually – to your enjoyment because it’s going to turn into this and I’ve already done it. I’ve already got high, I already did the addiction, I did the garbage can, the homelessness. Now, you’re saying that you’re liking what you’re going through? I’m letting you know why you’re in that process. if you need me, I’m there to feed you, I’m there to give you whatever the Lord tells me to do for you, but I’m not going to get personally involved in that act. For all that you may experience, I can discern and know what I’m supposed to do.” – T.A. Robertson
Intro:
Welcome to I Share Hope! The podcast where world leaders share their real stories of hope and how you can use actionable hope to start changing your life today and now here’s your host, Chris Williams.
T.A. Robertson:
Hey Chris, it’s T.A.
Chris Williams:
What’s up buddy?
T.A. Robertson:
Okay, I’m at the Shell Station crossing the street to grab me more coffee.
Chris Williams:
I’m coming your way. I’m in my car.
T.A. Robertson:
Okay.
Chris Williams:
I’ll see you in just a second. What’s up, man? How are you doing?
T.A. Robertson:
Okay. Okay. Okay.
Chris Williams:
It’s good to see you, buddy. Let me get this thing organized here.
T.A. Robertson:
We’re going back south and west. Southwest.
Chris Williams:
Let me make a loop here and I’ll just go back on park and whatever.
T.A. Robertson:
That would be quicker with when the train’s gone.
Chris Williams:
How did it go today?
T.A. Robertson:
Okay. What happened today was no more routine. As far as the reason I come out here, I come out of here because of God’s purpose. I’m not trying to make up anything. God already knows that this is my life, this love, this is everything. Everything that comes with The Bridge paper, it’s how me and my wife survives.
Chris Williams:
Alright. Do I need to turn here?
T.A. Robertson:
No.
Chris Williams:
Okay. So, we’re in my car and just crossing town here. T.A. Robertson, give me a little background of just what you’re doing right now. You’re working for The Bridge, tell me about The Bridge and how you and your wife are involved in that.
T.A. Robertson:
Okay. The Bridge, it’s a homeless shelter newspaper. It’s informative and it also creates employment for those who are in a non-employment situation. The students at Rhodes College have taken the time to put the paper together and I was to write, I’m also a contributing writer as well as vendor. I also have outreach ministry that is ironically called HOPE – He Only Promises Eternal Life in Jesus Christ Ministry.
Chris Williams:
No way.
T.A. Robertson:
As I mentioned, you’re going to see it at my door. If you walk to the front door, you’ll see the HOPE on the door. That’s not always the ministry name. That was the ministry that was given to us. The layout has been written, we’ve got flyers, we’ve even gone through Job Hatchery and Anita Black. It had a t-shirt going, business going, we need to fund to get that back up.
The paper itself is like an opportunity like I met you, I met several people, the mayor here, he’s the warden, he’s wise. I want to almost say we’re friends, but we’re just acquaintance because I see them on a monthly basis. So, we’re starting to become more acquainted. I was starting to really rub elbows with people I’ve never even thought I would even…People I only see on TV I’m starting to become in their circle, on the outskirts, but I’m still able to wave and say hi to them.
Chris Williams:
That’s awesome. That’s really great. He is a good mayor. I really respect him.
T.A. Robertson:
I do. He’s a people’s person. One thing he said, his quote is this “if everybody can just decide to grasp the concept of change, no one has to have the same ideas, but if you do that’s cool, but just grasp the ideal of change and walk in that, we all can make a difference.” When he told me that, I just latched on o the part I could change and that’s almost this in bringing the people to Christ.
Chris Williams:
Man, that’s really cool. The five questions of hope, here’s how they work and you just answer them however you want. They’re really straightforward and tell stories. Give a place where you’ve been. Question 2 and 3 get into more stories, but question number one is pretty simple.
Question 1: How do you define hope or do you have a favorite quote about hope? If you had to put your own label on there, what would you call it?
T.A. Robertson:
Coming from me, coming from T.A. Robertson?
Chris Williams:
It’s all that matters right now. Yes.
T.A. Robertson:
It’s a two part to that. First, there’s a testimony part to the whole that really indwells the sight.
The far is just basically telling you what hope means to me?
Chris Williams:
Yes.
T.A. Robertson:
We’ve placed the trust, well I’ve placed the trust in the area that do my hope and I’ve come to know this true. So, hope for me is a gateway towards belief, faith, trust, starting over. It’s best to starting over because without hope, you can’t start over. If you already think you’re doomed, then there’s no really way out. What is there to hope for? The word wouldn’t even exist.
Chris Williams:
You’re right. There has to be a next step or another day.
T.A. Robertson:
So, with just understanding that the word exists and if you’re like me, you’re going to realize what’s the origin to hope and that’s the second part I was telling you about, the origin.
Chris Williams:
Question 2: Back there in your life, who’s given you the most hope? Name it, it could be anybody. There’s no right or wrong answer.
T.A. Robertson:
It’s Jesus honestly. Just to keep it more higher.
Chris Williams:
That’s great. Do you need me to head back to the interstate?
T.A. Robertson:
You know what, I am trying to figure out why I am from here and I kind of know and I kind of didn’t know.
Chris Williams:
Are you sure? I can go that way.
T.A. Robertson:
Stay where we are. No, that was it on that way.
Chris Williams:
On the interstate? Got it right here. American way. Got it. Alright we’re good. So, Jesus has been the one who’s shared the most hope with you?
T.A. Robertson:
That’s what established it. That’s what placed it. When I got to pray for, you know I was homeless. You never out of these cans, on drugs, crack, past history, prison time, gangs. I really did. I lost everything really. There was nothing really to hold on to because there was nothing in the world with what I was getting until I just changed the view of what was in the world. Christ was in this world, he cared for the world, so that started the whole everything right there. That’s when it just started me even considering, should I have anything to hold for? I might say Christ is my star.
Chris Williams:
That’s great.
Question 3: Kind of give us that background, tell us more of that story. When was the time in your life where you really had to use hope to fall back on? When you just had to pull through without hope?
T.A. Robertson:
Okay. Just let me say this. The only way I could really adapt to have to fall back on the hope, because once it was there it started the seeding.
Chris Williams:
But it pulled you through some stuff, right?
T.A. Robertson:
That’s what I want to get to. When I got to pray for it, I might have to go ahead and identify. That’s when the whole seed was placed in me. It took, ruled in and I started to really… I can understand it and it and in times of darkness…I see where you’re going with this now. That hope is what’s kept me because I didn’t have to go back to where I came from. Those dark areas consist of the crime, it consisted of basically just being conformed to my environment – survival. Through reading, through studying, now I started to believe what I was reading. Now, we’re going to get into the belief thing too. But, the dark area, I had to really believe that what was placed in me, what was prayed over me, the hope that I last onto… [giving directions]
All of that, Chris, was just ironic because it’s still like it’s new now. Still as we’re talking, it’s like wow, there’s really no pinpoint answer to it. It can go on.
Chris Williams:
So, you’ve had it really tough obviously growing up in times like this.
T.A. Robertson:
I’m 47. I just had a birthday on the 3rd, March 3rd last week.
Chris Williams:
Happy Birthday.
T.A. Robertson:
I’m still here to help. I have been diagnosed with a thing, but you know we’ve got the same old nix and crevices that come with age.
Chris Williams:
Where did you grow up?
T.A. Robertson:
I was born here in Memphis. I went to California in ’75, stayed there all the way up in 2002. I came back here and this is when the addiction just took on.
Chris Williams:
We’re you doing pretty good before you came back?
T.A. Robertson:
No. My mom passed when I was 12.
Chris Williams:
That was back in California?
T.A. Robertson:
That was in California. My dad got hooked on to crack and what transpired through that was homelessness. I still graduated, homeless, I sold drugs, ramble gangs, that was my family. Got some convictions, started college, started a semester, a quarter. I played football, that type of thing. Trying to hold on to the dreams and everything and just had no guidance at the time and so I ended up becoming a convict.
Chris Williams:
What brought you back to Memphis?
T.A. Robertson:
Three strike candidate in California. Anything I would’ve done, it would’ve been it’s my time. I was straight with it with all and criminal…There was not an opportunity unless the job you’re going to go to, you write in a lie. Unless the job was given and we held on to those jobs, I held on to the drugs and you want to go and commit another crime because that would’ve been like years on top of years. So, you take your chance selling drugs and getting hooked.
It’s like a lose-lose situation. The only way you can get out of it is buying time through hope. Hope has to be placed there for you to buy your time.
Chris Williams:
What do you mean?
T.A. Robertson:
Waiting. Hope is about waiting. Hope is about waiting on God to really just reveal what’s he been really hoping to make listen for.
Chris Williams:
How long do you have to wait?
T.A. Robertson:
His time is not our time according to the words. If you believe in the word. You can make things happen yourself. You got control of your own destiny. It’s because he’s placed you here and he’s given you a vision. So, you can walk in your destiny and you won’t have to wait no more. You can already realize it’s there and just walk in it. But in certain areas, if you’re trying to latch on, your process may take a while. You know what I mean? I give you a drug addict and you’re hoping to get out of drugs, right? Watch this. It’s going to take some work with that hope. You can’t just hope that off of me. You got to let the rubber meet the road on that. That hope is just going to be there and you can just look at that as cotton candy if you want to. It would look good and taste good, but you’ll never get a chance to really save for it.
Chris Williams:
Very good point. Wow. I’m with you. That makes sense. There’s got to be a lot of action and working to do. So, what are you doing today, right now, in March 2015, Memphis, Tennessee?
Question 4: What are you doing today to bring hope to yourself or to others around you?
T.A. Robertson:
This is not even about me now. That’s what hope has taught me. I’m going to toward into with me. I’m not a fanatic. I’m just a realist in the word of God and the bible is like my head. It’s like the bible is like everything that comes for me to get to the next point. Whatever I learn from God to the bible is where I start from. So, in 2015, March 12, today, Thursday, I’m seeking first the kingdom of God and all these rises and everything will be added to you. That’s my bottom-line.
I use my discernment, ask for his guidance, his wisdom, his knowledge and everything else will be taken care of. That’s what I asked him for when I was in my days. I asked for just knowledge and wisdom and spiritual guidance because anything else I would have been able to handle. He could’ve given me a million bucks right then, I probably died OD. You could have told me I was running this, I wouldn’t know the first thing about running nothing because I was an addict. I was a survivor. I don’t know how to conduct myself in general public. I won’t even hygiene – My hygiene wasn’t even up to par. So, how can you place all this, everything I’m asking God for?
I mean I don’t see God bringing you a bag full of feces and this is from me. I don’t look at God like that. God is good. He prepares the table for you in the presence of you and him. If he prepares a table for you, I think God wants you to eat. You just got to trust that he got your back. So really, that’s just the format and I really wish I can pour that in every individual and even you, Chris. As I’m talking I’m hoping something’s matching on to what you heard because the bibles, their faith come from hearing. I’m hoping that something latches on you like, wow. We need to do something with T.A.
Chris Williams:
Well, I learn from every one of these interviews. They are just big learning opportunities for me. That’s great. I appreciate you sharing that and being open. I really do. So, right now you’re also sharing hope through The Bridge. So, tell me again more about The Bridge and it’s a newspaper and what it’s all about and what are you guys doing over there?
T.A. Robertson:
Okay. The Bridge is an opportunity for employment. It’s an opportunity to be seen. It’s employment because you still got to work. I mean you got to do the process. Any process you do, I consider work. The Bridge basically is an opportunity for me to seek other things like I do yards, I’ll clean the roof, I’ll wash your car. I get the dog stuff on me and I don’t look at myself as being reduced or deduced to that level.
Chris Williams:
That’s not bad. That’s work, man.
T.A. Robertson:
Honestly, it’s an opportunity because only through Christ I’ve learned about these opportunities. It keeps jumping back to what I really believed in, right? Because every opportunity that we live in, every opportunity is opportunity for God to show up. What we look for as people, I honestly believe we look for that confidence in him. Once we know and latch onto him, we really can’t lose no matter if you are homeless. That goes back to our mindset, that you’re thinking that. That’s really what it’s about. It’s really just about your mindset, your thinking, where you place yourself and how you view it now. You’ve got some people who have lost some senses, they can’t really latch on. That’s when we’re supposed to bear the infirmity of the weak. Be there for them, understand, pray for them. If we believe that what’s there is power, we got power to cast out and put them in a place where they can get connected to God and they still can do what they’re supposed to do to bring people hope because that’s what it’s about.
It’s not for me as an individual. My testimony is for somebody else to understand he can come out. This interview is for somebody else to hear and say he was there. I’m hearing the words, I’m feeling it. He was there and he came out because he started believing in this. So, you have opportunity to do what I’m saying and not even go investigate for yourself.
Chris Williams:
That’s great. Question number five then and you’re already rolling in there.
Question 5: What would be the simple steps you tell somebody listening to take to start building hope in their life or sharing it with somebody else? What are the steps 1,2 and 3, I heard many you want to put out there. Just one is fine.
T.A. Robertson:
The first thing is getting real with yourself and I call that confession. Whether you confess within yourself, make up in your mind you’re going to find somebody to talk to, that’s still a part of the confession thing. That’s somebody that you got to trust that they’re going to hear, understand and guide you. So, the first thing is confession. If you confess with your mouth, you’re going to be saved. So, we got that.
The second step is after you confess, commit. Commit to where your guidance takes you because once you get that junk up out of you, you’re going to feel mighty, you’re going to feel relieved. You’re going to feel better. So, commit into that area where you can elevate yourself. That’s where all your peace is. That’s when your problems come, you are able to fight those problems off because you’re in a place where you’re getting your guidance. After you confess, you’re not to hold on to that mess – how somebody offended you, how somebody said this or did or what happened years ago. You let somebody know how you feel and that somebody told you hey, you don’t have to hold on to it. Let it go and move to this area and then it goes to the trusting, then it goes down to acting.
Chris Williams:
You’re saying at first, I have to admit and confess that I got something that needs to be worked on or I’ve done something wrong or whatever it may be. Number two is I have to be committed to taking some action to start changing?
T.A. Robertson:
Follow the guidance because anytime you confess or get somebody, it should be somebody to say go child in peace. It should be there. But even if it’s not there, just the spirit, what’s inside, you should feel a lot lighter because you finally got this garbage lifted off of you. You ain’t holding it no more.
Chris Williams:
Now I can start taking action and I’m hoping the person I confess to may be able to help me think of a few steps that I can start working?
T.A. Robertson:
That just did. When you start to confess, you got to really just get yourself in a place of humbleness because it’s not going to work the way you want it to. That’s where the trusting in all those other parts…
Chris Williams:
Yes, that’s good.
T.A. Robertson:
I didn’t exclude prayer out of there because prayer is the key. Prayer is the hand for all of these to take place because to get to where you can start confessing, you got to pray, you got to pray it into you. You got to ask somewhere. You got to be broken down, ask it in, somebody’s going to give you some guidance. Okay, this is what took place, feel better now and live
Chris Williams:
So, admitting that you got something wrong to work on, praying for help and bringing somebody else into it. Confessing it to them, be open about it and then let them start guiding you towards some good steps.
T.A. Robertson:
That’s an opportunity. It works in rehab, it works in school, it works on the job, it works everywhere if you’d just listen to what I was just saying. Any place that you’re at, you didn’t create that place. Any place that you’re in life, you didn’t create that place. You just happened to be on the journey and now you acknowledge where you’re at. You do your excess and you do your inventory of what’s taking place, what’s good, what’s not and you know how to latch on to what’s working for you. Without a relationship with Christ and the father, I mean it’s really hard for me to give you some guidance because–
Chris Williams:
Because that’s been it for you?
T.A. Robertson:
I don’t understand how it works for an atheist, I don’t know how it works for a Muslim or Buddhist or Jehovah’s Witnesses who wants to turn things around. I don’t understand it. It’s basic to me.
Chris Williams:
Because this is the place that you’ve connected. It’s your relationship with Jesus that’s gotten you to where you are.
T.A. Robertson:
That’s just for me and I’m just not going to say I’m trying to force my thoughts upon you, but that’s just what I’ve chosen along.
Chris Williams:
That’s about you answering the questions your way. That’s great. I appreciate your honesty. I really do. That’s great. That’s the fifth question though, how can we take some steps. So, honestly, just admitting you got something to work on and praying to ask for help, strength to work on those things and going to somebody else and being honest with them and asking for steps from them. Those are great three points.
So, how can we know more about you, follow you? You do some stuff with The Bridge which is a paper that is written and produced and distributed by the homeless community and people getting homes but coming from that background. So, if you’re doing some writing and things like that there, how do we find about you in that?
T.A. Robertson:
You can always have a connection with me. You’ve got to have a personal connection with me if you choose that. I gave you my personal information.
Chris Williams:
I got one right now.
T.A. Robertson:
Cool. So, I hope you hold on to that for life. I really do. I want God to bless whatever, whenever. I just hope me and you just say how you’re doing, this is where we’re at, I need some assistance, what do you need from me? I want to always be available to you. That’s in my heart.
Chris Williams:
I appreciate that.
T.A. Robertson:
The second thing to The Bridge, you can connect with me and my wife.
Chris Williams:
That’s the memphisbridge.com? The website there?
T.A. Robertson:
Memphisbridge.com, you got the card, I’ll give you one of the papers.
Chris Williams:
If you’re in Memphis listening to this, you can buy those papers for a dollar a piece.
T.A. Robertson:
Exactly. What we ask you to do honestly is do more than a dollar because we’re out here looking for hope. When you bless somebody, they ask, they pray and they’re out here. They don’t know where it’s going to come from and you really can get somebody clothed. It’s an opportunity. Everything is like every opportunity we have to bring somebody to Christ is really right here in our face. It’s through our giving, through our love, through our understanding. Not through your misgiving, not through your misunderstanding and not through your misguided aspects of love. It’s through the authentic principles.
Chris Williams:
That’s good. That’s what I was looking for. So, The memphisbridge.com. Any articles in there? I’m assuming you’ll have – what do you go by as an author?
T.A. Robertson:
T.A. Robertson. Minister T.A. Robertson. Not ordained yet, but I will be.
Chris Williams:
I love it. I look forward to seeing some of those. When did you move in over here?
T.A. Robertson:
This is what happened over here Chris.
Chris Williams:
Is that Elmwood Cemetery next to you?
T.A. Robertson:
Yes. That’s it. Thats where everybody died of the Yellow Fever.
Chris Williams:
It’s got a lot of sad stories over there, but it’s a beautiful cemetery. When did you leave the streets and get a home?
T.A. Robertson:
My last time at rehab was 2008. That’s the last time I considered myself – well I still was homeless because I’m staying with my Aunties, I’m staying with my cousins, I’m staying here and staying there. Bu, I wasn’t on the streets, you’re not on garbage cans. I started really going to church, I started matching in to people like you, so I’ve been on this journey since 2008.
Chris Williams:
When you were just down and needed something to just lift your spirits, get your back off of your butt again, what are you going to listen to? What kind of music?
T.A. Robertson:
You know what, I’m not even all savvy man, it’s just any type of gospel music, right? I got my keyboard and I’ve been learning how to play. That’s been my meditation. I’m learning how to do a course again.
Chris Williams:
I’m learning how to play the ukulele for the same reason. I just got to play some music man.
T.A. Robertson:
I like notes, so I’ll be listening for them and nobody’s teaching me so I’m really learning on my own. That’s why I’m doing all those things right now and I’m cool with that.
Chris Williams:
That is great. That is really good. I really appreciate your time. I really do.
You’ve just listened to I Share Hope. If you’re ready to make a change, head to our website at isharehope.com and claim your free copy of the Top Ten Actions of Hope from World Leaders to use hope in your own life. Thanks for listening and we’ll talk to you next time.
Chris Williams:
Can I ask you just a series of questions just to somebody who’s not homeless or somebody who hasn’t struggled with an addiction, I’d love to hear your input there because a lot of people just don’t know how to deal with that when they see it.
If I’ve got a friend who’s struggling with addiction that are still in our community, coming and going, not sure if they’re safe or reliable, how do you handle that?
T.A. Robertson:
You know, if somebody’s sitting there acting like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you’re going to watch them anyway. That’s what basically addiction is about, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They’re one way off the drug and one way on the drug. In the midst of getting the drug, there’s a third person. So, if somebody that you know been on it is acting weird, investigate because evidently they’re close to you. They can harm you.
Chris Williams:
How does a listener help if they’re not the one with the addiction? If they got someone in the community who is, that person now is getting help, how do I support that person? How do I help them through that process?
Chris Williams:
What about honest questions? I mean you’re really open. You let me ask you some honest questions, but is the average person who’s struggling with something like that in their past, do they want to talk about that or do they prefer to be quiet and say hey, leave me alone?
T.A. Robertson:
They really do want to talk about it, right, but they have to get to a level where they could release that demon. The addiction is a spiritual thing. It tells you that you can’t go without it. It makes you feel uncomfortable, so you have to go ahead and you bet you want to medicate your pain, your thoughts, why things are the way they are. I mean honestly when you get to those points, when you start getting those questions asked to you about do you want to stop, why are you doing it, that’s when you really got to just be honest. If you enjoy getting high and enjoy staying where you’re at, the person who they’re telling they’re enjoying it got to let them know where they’re going to end up. Well, this is where you’re going to end up eventually to your enjoyment because it’s going to turn into this. While you’re in it, I’m not going to play a part on that because you’re being honest with me what you’re liking about this and I’ve already done it. I’ve already got high, I already did the addiction, I did the garbage can, the homelessness, now you’re saying that you’re liking what you’re going through? I’m letting you know why you’re in that process. If you need me, I’m there to feed you, I’m there to give you whatever the Lord tells me to do for you, but I’m not going to get personally involved in that act. I’m not going to put it on me, I’m not going to do hands on hands with you. I got to be in spirit there with you because you could be at the point you come to me and really need me and if I get personal with you, I’ll close my door because I don’t like the way you smell, look, think or act. So, if I get personal with you, I won’t let the spirit in, but if always remain in spirit with you, I can discern and know what I’m supposed to do.
Chris Williams:
If I’m walking in the street and I see somebody who looks homeless and has a sign or is asking for money or whatever they need, what do I do?
T.A. Robertson:
That’s a difficult one because you know why? You don’t know if that guy is there as an example. We really don’t know his story. So, how can I say don’t bless him, don’t give him, ignore him? How can I say that when your heart may say I wonder what’s his story and you go up and talk to him. My whole thing is, if your heart or if anything, you decided you connected to this person on the corner, follow it. That’s the best way I could tell you because I don’t know what that is. He could be somebody to help you get out of your situation. He could be the person that you needed to talk to, to understand that this is how this happened and now I know what to do. You can’t close off nothing to the spirit Chris, nothing. Don’t close out the spirit.
Chris Williams:
So listen to your heart and roll it.
T.A. Robertson:
That’s towards the homeless. If you somebody drinking beer, smoking dope and he’s homeless, well you understand why.
What about honest questions? I mean you’re really open. You let me ask you some honest questions, but is the average person who’s struggling with something like that in their past, do they want to talk about that or do they prefer to be quiet and say hey, leave me alone?
T.A. Robertson:
They really do want to talk about it, right, but they have to get to a level where they could release that demon. The addiction is a spiritual thing. It tells you that you can’t go without it. It makes you feel uncomfortable, so you have to go ahead and you bet you want to medicate your pain, your thoughts, why things are the way they are. I mean honestly when you get to those points, when you start getting those questions asked to you about do you want to stop, why are you doing it, that’s when you really got to just be honest. If you enjoy getting high and enjoy staying where you’re at, the person who they’re telling they’re enjoying it got to let them know where they’re going to end up. Well, this is where you’re going to end up eventually to your enjoyment because it’s going to turn into this. While you’re in it, I’m not going to play a part on that because you’re being honest with me what you’re liking about this and I’ve already done it. I’ve already got high, I already did the addiction, I did the garbage can, the homelessness, now you’re saying that you’re liking what you’re going through? I’m letting you know why you’re in that process. If you need me, I’m there to feed you, I’m there to give you whatever the Lord tells me to do for you, but I’m not going to get personally involved in that act. I’m not going to put it on me, I’m not going to do hands on hands with you. I got to be in spirit there with you because you could be at the point you come to me and really need me and if I get personal with you, I’ll close my door because I don’t like the way you smell, look, think or act. So, if I get personal with you, I won’t let the spirit in, but if always remain in spirit with you, I can discern and know what I’m supposed to do.
Chris Williams:
If I’m walking in the street and I see somebody who looks homeless and has a sign or is asking for money or whatever they need, what do I do?
T.A. Robertson:
That’s a difficult one because you know why? You don’t know if that guy is there as an example. We really don’t know his story. So, how can I say don’t bless him, don’t give him, ignore him? How can I say that when your heart may say I wonder what’s his story and you go up and talk to him. My whole thing is, if your heart or if anything, you decided you connected to this person on the corner, follow it. That’s the best way I could tell you because I don’t know what that is. He could be somebody to help you get out of your situation. He could be the person that you needed to talk to, to understand that this is how this happened and now I know what to do. You can’t close off nothing to the spirit Chris, nothing. Don’t close out the spirit.
Chris Williams:
So listen to your heart and roll it.
T.A. Robertson:
That’s towards the homeless. If you somebody drinking beer, smoking dope and he’s homeless, well you understand why.
