One of the great issues of our society is poverty. I know that in my community, we deal with many people who are homeless and struggling to make ends meet. This brings up many challenging situations, where people are asking for money, or food. I am always struggling with the question of how to help them. Do I give them money? Do I send them away empty handed? I know that God tells us to help those who are struggling, but is giving money away always the best answer. And I don't think that it is. Having been at Community Presbyterian Church in North Long Beach now for almost 8 years, I have experienced many of these kinds of people and situations. The first challenge is that I have very little money available to me to help. And while I know that when we choose to give, we shouldn't wonder what they will do with the money, but yet there is that sense of helping people use the money in helpful ways. So often I will take them to the store and buy them food, or drive with them to the gas station to get them gas. But the second challenge is that by just giving them money, or paying for what they need, it doesn't help them to become independent for themselves. Many of the people just go from church to church looking for a handout, never seeking to do anything for themselves. So in this matter, I often choose to find work for them to do so that they may earn the money. It may be vacuuming a room, or typing something up for the church. But by giving them some work, it helps them to feel like they've earned the money, not just been given a handout. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says: "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth, to strenghten the entire earth..." The Lord is looking to you and me to strengthen people around us. There are so many ways to do this. I encourage you to look for a way today to help strengthen someone. Maybe it starts by you praying the prayer "God, use me." You will be surprised the difference you can make when you make yourself available to God. Let's join together to do this. Tell me what you think. Pastor Chris
1 comment:
Your blog reminded me of a time back when I was 20 and had gone on a trip to WAshington, DC with a group of mostly seniors from City College. There were four of us "youngsters" on the trip. One day, a friend and I were walking back to the college where we were staying from whatever monument we had gone to see, and crossed through a square where a homeless lady was sitting on a park bench. For whatever reason, I stopped to say hi, and spent quite a while just listening to her talk about her family, her life, whatever. I remember this as being the first time I really "got it" that people are all alike - just in different circumstances. That this lady wanted the same things that I did - to feel validated as a person.
Your comments about giving a person seeking assistance a job to do kind of follows that same line. It's not that they're "earning" their money, it's that you are taking the time to make them feel validated, to feel as if they have a place in your life, and can make a difference to you just as you are making a difference to them.
It also got me thinking, too - how many times have I seen a coupon for a hamburger place - buy one get one free - that I ignored because I knew I would be eating alone and cound't eat twice. And yet, in line ahead of me is a mother scraping pennies to feed her kids, or someone else who may have enjoyed the meal I could have gotten. Or, could I have used it to purchase a meal for an older person behind me, and shared a table rather than both of us eating alone together?
Life's big picture and helping others goes beyond charity - it involves touching the heart. There's a quote by the author of the book, The LIttle Prince, that says, "Perhaps, then, love is the process of my leading you gently back to yourself."
Isn't that what each of us are called to do for each other?
Julie
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