A bad divorce plunged Hillbilly into homelessness. His unique perspective keeps him living a nomadic lifestyle.

He recently shared a portion of his story with me. Hillbilly came to Albuquerque from Denver. He got Lucky when his other dog died.

Hillbilly and Lucky

As a result, Hillbilly said, "I ended up traveling the road and started liking it. I'm still here. I've traveled sometimes by freight train, sometimes hitch hiking and now the bike. I love it, and he seems to enjoy it. I always keep a dog with me for companionship and protection."

I asked Hillbilly to tell me some recent highlights of life on the road. He said one of the best was getting Lucky.

He said, "I lost my other dog of 15 years by rattle snakes in Los Cruces. One of the vets that tried to save him gave me Lucky, then two months old. I've had him three months now."

Hillbilly said Lucky is very protective. "As you can see, he don't let nobody come near the bike when I'm not around, and at night when I'm laying down."

Hillbilly said many of the people he's met have been those highlights I asked him about. While some people don't know how to react to the homeless, others do. He said they're "really cool."

He added, "I have a new outlook on a lot of people because they don't look down on you for who or what you are. They actually respect what you do ... if you are doing the right thing and staying out of trouble and not just begging all the time."

I asked Hillbilly about work. He said, "I've worked where people let Lucky come to work ... That's how we make our money. Sometimes people have even stopped me at the side of the Interstate and offered me money for my trip."

I asked Hillbilly to recall some of the worst times in his life.

He didn't hesitate, saying "The couple times I've been robbed, or beat up, or harassed by police." However, he quickly added, good experiences outweigh the bad.

I asked Hillbilly how important is it to have a service like Joy Junction's Lifeline of Hope.

Hillbilly said he really appreciates the Lifeline as he can't always find work everyday. He said while he always buys Lucky food, so doing means he doesn't always eat.

Laughing, I said to Hillbilly that Lucky can share his food but he can't share Lucky's.

He said, "That's right. I ain't never tried it. I don't think it would taste very good. He likes it."

Returning to my initial question, I asked Hillbilly how he felt about the cold water, sandwiches and salad we were providing.

He said, "Anything I mean, food wise, sandwiches, whatever is a blessing. The water is definitely a plus and the sodas (are) a bonus."

I asked Hillbilly if the Lifeline was also a spiritual encouragement to him.

He said, "It reinforces the fact that there are still God loving people that'll help us out here, that do care about everybody regardless of who or what they are, where they're from, or where they're at."

I asked Hillbilly what he says to people who criticize him and his lifestyle.

He said, "Last night I had a guy walk up to me and say, 'You bum.' I looked at him and said, 'Did I ask you for anything?' I don't ask people for nothing (but) if they offer I'll take it."

Hillbilly said sentiments like that don't hurt him. He said, "'Cause I know I'm not a bum. I know I work and I struggle."

He added, "It's hard out here sometimes when you can't find work. I struggle. Sometimes I have gone two or three days without eating when I'm on the road."

Looking at Lucky, Hillbilly said, "He eats. That's the most important thing. I know how hard it is to survive and when they say that, I know I'm not a bum. I know I'm not trash and I know God loves me, and there's people still out here that do."

He continued, "So I don't care what they say about me. It's between me and God. God is the main thing that matters to me. If He's happy with me then I'm happy with me."

I asked Hillbilly if he could see himself eventually staying in one place. Quite emphatically he said, "Nope. I'll never settle down. I'll die on the road."

I asked Hillbilly how important his faith is to him.

He said, "It's pretty important. I know one day God is going to call me home and I am going home with Him. I'm gonna have me a mansion in heaven on streets of gold."

I said, "That's because at one point in time you asked Jesus Christ to save you?"

He responded emphatically, "Yes sir, and God sent Jesus to die for me."

I asked Hillbilly what he would say to people who don't know Jesus and have yet to make the decision he made about 22 years ago.

He said, "I'd say ya missing a lot. He's got a lot to offer."

I asked Hillbilly if he had anything else he would like to tell people. He said, "I appreciate y'all and everybody else (who) feeds us."

He added, "And the people ... the conversation, the respect, the companionship I get from y'all and other people."

My Take

Whether or not you agree with Hillbilly's perspective, I believe that as Christians (and decent human beings) we have a Biblical responsibility to share God's love with him and others in a similar situation. Who knows, along the way we may also learn a thing or two as well.