The bedraggled figure stirred slightly, trying to shake the sound that echoed as if from far away. But there it was again: “You can’t stay here. Time to move on!” This time the voice penetrated his sleep more clearly, and the groggy young man half opened his eyes. The reality of another day on the streets came sharply into focus.
As Mike rolled over on the concrete patio that had been his bed for the night, the stench of body odor rose out of his three-dollar, thrift-store sleeping bag. Sticks, leaves, and other debris clung to his long, matted hair. Dirt and grime from months on the streets clung to every pore and crease of skin. How long had it been since he’d had a shower? The thunderstorm he’d been caught in several days ago didn’t count.
Mike leaned against the metal railing that had served as his headboard and placed a hand on the guitar case lashed to it. He was happy the instrument was still there—and that no one had assaulted him in the night. Maybe my singing will bring in enough change for a decent meal today, he thought. And if I hurry, I might be able to get hot coffee and biscuits at a shelter before they run out.
His former life seemed so distant now: loving parents and a sister in a small town near Denver; a comfortable home where basic needs such as food, water, shelter and plumbing were at his fingertips; his own Land Cruiser to go wherever whenever; a solid church; friends and studies on the beautiful campus of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. Sometimes even he could not believe that he had left all that behind and chosen to live homeless.
How to Become Homeless
As recorded in his book Under the Overpass, the thought flickered in Mike Yankoski’s head during a church sermon one Sunday: Be the Christian you say you are.
He had driven 20 minutes to reach the church building past a world that needed him to do just that, and he would drive past again back to his comfortable life on a Christian college campus. The student struggled to remember a time when he had needed to lean fully on Christ rather than rely on his own abilities.
“The idea came instantly—like the flash of a camera or a flicker of lightning. It left me breathless, and it changed my life,” Mike wrote. “What if I stepped out of my comfortable life with nothing but God and put my faith to the test alongside of those who live with nothing every day?”
The concept seemed crazy, but the dream was born. The theology/computer science student discussed his desires with his parents, his pastors and the directors of homeless ministries. The group of mature Christians became his advisers and helped him in researching and planning his adventure. Because life on the streets is dangerous, Mike found a partner to join him, another student named Sam Purvis.
Together the two entered the world of the downtrodden, taking no money and few supplies, nothing but their meager packs and guitars. For six months, they lived on the streets of six American cities: Denver; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; Phoenix; and San Diego. Why? Because they had heard a still, small voice saying, “Follow Me.” Because, as Mike wrote, they wanted “to understand the life of the homeless in the United States and see firsthand how the church is responding to their needs.” Because they wanted “to encourage others to ‘live out loud’ for Christ in whatever ways God is asking.” Because they wanted to grasp “what it means to depend on Christ for daily physical needs and to experience contentment and confidence in Him,” no matter how much or little they had.
Off the Edge
Mike and Sam’s journey led them among the lives of the broken, hurting and addicted. As the pair’s physical appearance was worn down and altered, their outlooks and perceptions were transformed inwardly. Every morsel of food, every safe moment, every compassionate encounter brought genuine thanksgiving to God. The young men witnessed the destructive power of the Devil in human lives and the unconditional love of God for each of His human creations. They understood what it meant to be shunned by society and were able to offer the touch of Christ to those accustomed to human rejection. They came to understand their need and appreciation of Jesus as their rock, the foundation of their lives.
At the end of six months, Mike and Sam were able to walk off the streets and return to “normal” life as you and I know it. But their experiences on the streets and their new perspectives in their journeys with God will forever shape them.
“God probably isn’t calling you to live on the streets like He did Sam and me,” Mike wrote. “But He is calling you—like He does each of His children—to take important risks of faith that are unique to you and your opportunities. Your journey will lead you toward utter dependence on the King of Kings and a resolution to follow Him wherever He may ask you to go. That might be to the streets, to your friends and family, to your neighbor or to a stranger you haven’t even met yet.”
Dare to live a life abandoned to God. Dare to love and live radically. Dare to obey the command of Christ in Matthew 16:24-25, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
In the words of Mike Yankoski, college student and former homeless man, “Walk off the edge with Him.” 
