Homeless Family Counts Thanksgiving Blessings

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By Nicole Ferguson

LEBANON, Tenn. - One Middle Tennessee family is counting their blessing this Thanksgiving. They have turkey, pie, and their four children - even though they have no house to live in.

"I'm truly blessed with the family I have and a wife that stands by me, because this could be a thing that really tears families apart," says 40-year-old Troy Renault.

From June until September, the Renaults lived in a tent on the Timberline Campgrounds in Lebanon.

Troy had lost his construction job with a homebuilder, and independent work became harder and harder to come by.

The Renaults found themselves out of their house, most of their belongings in bags and the simple things seemed like big tasks.

"You know flushing a toilet... all of a sudden I'm in a tent [and] you have to walk to a toilet," says Tammy Renault.

In September, a kind family loaned the family a camper to live in. The Renaults get by on any independent construction jobs Troy can secure.

"Home isn't always about what you're living in," says Troy Renault. "It's about where your heart is and what your perception is as well."

On Thanksgiving morning, the Renaults say they were thankful for community, family and faith.

"I have the most powerful force that there is and that's love," said Tammy Renault.

"We will come out in the long run. We'll get things back on track," said Troy Renault. "That's really what I'm thankful for is that God is still in control."

Email: nferguson@newschannel5.com