There's a man sleeping under my stairs.

So this has been a strange couple weeks all around. Not having work doesn't seem to have been exciting nor restful. I find I am wasting a lot of time not growing, learning, conversing, caring. Rather, I sleep, read stupid novels that are poorly written and have predictable plot lines, and watch movies. At least when Nathan gets off of work I hang out with him... mind you by then he is tired, so we mostly just sit about or take a little walk or... watch a movie! Terrible. Well, in this lack of excitement, I found myself awake and chilling at home at about midnight yesterday evening. Nathan had just left, so when there was a knock at the door, I opened it without even checking out the window, as I assumed he had just forgotten his wallet or something. As it turns out it was a young man (maybe 18, maybe a bit younger) that I had seen around our complex- I thought he lived here. I guess he had been staying with a friend, whose mom had kicked him out. He was looking for a place to stay. I let him come just inside the door (we have a little stool there) to explain the situation to me. I told him that it was just us ladies here, so we couldn't offer him our couch, but that I could call Nathan, if he liked. Maybe he could pick him up and put him up for the night. To this the young man became quite agitated and began explaining his many difficulties with men- how he couldn't trust them, didn't like them. Didn't like to be in their space. Because when he gets in their space, he gets in their headspace, and they don't know why, but they start fighting with everyone in their lives, their lives start to fall apart, because he is taking up their headspace. He also mentioned that he would protect himself by striking them with lightning, if ever a man tried to do things he shouldn't do, that shouldn't be done, ever again. And he mentioned that he once had a snake that he played with in the grass, where he slept, that grew into a king cobra that was also a shape-shifter and which is 12 ft long. Thankfully, my experiences at the Mustard Seed greatly aided me in my ability to keep the situation calm and comfortable. I let him know that there was no problem, that we wouldn't call the guys, that he still couldn't stay with us, but perhaps he could take my camping mattress and bring it back in the morning. I told him that it was getting late, so we were going to go to bed, opened the door, and told him to have a good night's sleep. Oh. I also asked him whether he was tripping out on anything and he said no, but I'm pretty sure... Anyway, when he brought back the mattress, we were still in bed, but he knocked and knocked, REALLY loudly. I just wasn't about to confront him in my pjs! Oh. I didn't say that last night my roomate had been on the phone to her B/F, who lives with his cop brother. The brother was adament that we should have the situation logged with the police. So I called it in, and the cop made me feel totally stupid, as the guy hadn't broken any laws, etc etc. So. Tonight rolls around, ten after twelve and KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!! Well, our lights are all out, we're in our pjs in our rooms. So it's easy not to answer it. He then went to some of our neighbours who told him in no uncertain terms to get lost. We were chatting to our neighbours out our window, when we spotted him heading back. So we just watched quietly and unspotted from our window while he made himself comfortable under our stairs. So I guess we'll eventually charge him rent or something. I don't know. But he was at least as sketched out tonight as yesterday. I just wish there were better resources... someone to call other than the police, who clearly don't want to hear about it until something terrible happens to him or someone else. Altogether, I am torn. He is so young and so troubled, and I don't know 'where he belongs' who knows him, who to talk to. I wish I could offer him more without endangering myself and my roomie. As it stands, he started to creep me out a little with all the persistant banging on the door. This sort of thing comes up all the time, in smaller measures. How can I follow Christ's example without being stupid and putting myself and others in harm's way? Even things like picking up hitchhikers... there are so few people with visible needs in this society. Here's someone driven by some madness to the point of desperation. And I feel like I've got nothing to offer. It's depressing. I'd be very interested in some feedback. Thanks guys! Love you all.