I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  It was the worst news imaginable.

My older brother, Sheldon, who came back from the battlefields of Iraq a year ago, was now living on the streets.  He couldn't afford to pay his rent, so the landlord evicted him.  He was already coping with the fact that he was disabled:  he'd lost his leg in war (a suicide bomber hit his platoon; he was the only one who'd survived):  now he had another blow delivered to him ...  he was now homeless.

He's been homeless on the streets for about six months now.  He's spent his days begging for money so he could get some food and searching for shelter to spend the night, especially when it was stormy or cold outside. 

When I first heard the news, I cried like there was no tomorrow.  Before he had gone into the military, Sheldon had the world by the tail:  he had his own house and was going to college to become a computer designer, but jobs in Ohio were (are) scarce, so he decided to opt for the military.  He went into the United States Marine Corps.  It was one of the hardest days when we saw him leave because we didn't think we'd ever see him alive again.

While he was in the Marines, we worried, we cried, we prayed every day and night, asking God to protect Sheldon from harm and danger.  Well, about two years ago, his platoon was hit by the suicide bomber; Sheldon was the only one out of his group who lived, but not without a price:  he'd lost a leg; he was now an amputee. 

After he spent his time healing in Germany and in Washington DC, he came back home, a changed man.  He tried to move on with his life, but he was too full of anger and bitterness.  He tried to shut everyone out of his life; he wanted to be left alone.  We worried that he might intentionally try to harm himself, so I or one of the other sisters decided to keep an eye on him and report to each other what was going on with his life, as a way to keep in touch.

Well, six months ago, he found himself on the streets.  He's been there ever since,  

We've tried to get him to come to live with us, but Sheldon's refused our offers.  He feels that he doesn't deserve any happiness, so he opts to stay out on the streets.  He knows he needs help, but won't get it; he's just too wrapped up in his miseries to even care.  It is a very sad situation, and we are at a loss at what to do to try to help him get back on his feet.

If anyone out there has any suggestions, I or my sisters are ready to take them.  This simply cannot go on; we love our brother, and we want to help him so much!

*to be continued.*