Isaiah 58:7
Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, my maternal grandmother’s only remaining sister became very ill. She lives in a nursing home, and her two children both live on opposite coasts. Her daughter phoned my mom from New York and said she was coming to see her mother. She said she had asked the nursing home for a cot, so that she could stay in her mother’s room. My mom immediately said, “That’s not necessary … you can stay with us.”
Subsequently, Mom picked up her cousin at the airport, then again at a Little Rock hospital after her aunt was taken there for surgery. Then Mom’s husband returned the cousin to the Little Rock airport for her flight back to New York. He might have only met this woman once in his life before the weekend, but he graciously offered to drive her to the airport. This allowed my mom to work on an editing deadline for a book she is writing that must go to the publisher at the end of the week. Mom was already running behind because she took countless hours to spend with her aunt and cousin. She shrugged and said, “We don’t get to choose when we die.” She gets it that you “don’t turn away your relatives.”
Often, we are called upon to do things that are inconvenient. People don’t get sick or die on a schedule. Divorces, new babies, natural disasters, and much more happen at seemingly inopportune times. People find themselves needing a place to stay. I once observed my Mam-ma bake a wedding cake for a cousin who otherwise would not have had one, and when she came to get it, Mam-ma opened her dresser drawer, removed a brand new night gown, and handed it to the girl. Did I mention my grandparents were middle class farmers who barely made ends meet?
Many of us have become very comfortable. God has piled our blessings high, and we have somewhat become “hoarders.” It’s time to start giving away and sharing with others … not only our extras, but even the good stuff! I recently took a few articles of clothing to the local thrift shop. I have to admit, I had pulled out a couple of blouses a few weeks ago and then put them back in my closet, thinking they were too good to give away. The truth is, I don’t need them, won’t wear them, and someone else could. We all have these sorts of things. We could all share a meal with someone who needs one … or buy a sack of groceries for someone we know is struggling. We could anonymously purchase an Angel Food gift certificate for a family in need or offer to drive a relative to an appointment … or leave a package of diapers on the doorstep of young parents on a limited budget.
If you are a teenager, you could offer to do yard work for an elderly person, or give up some of your iTune downloads to buy a meal for a hungry friend. You could offer a ride to someone you know who needs one … or you could give away those extra t-shirts and your discarded-but-still-perfectly-good athletic shoes to someone who has little to none. Maybe you can help a friend or classmate who can’t afford the back-to-school supplies. The point is … WE CAN ALL DO MORE … and we should! I challenge you today to prayerfully look around and see who you can bless. Ask God to show you who needs to see Christian love in action, then share it! I guarantee you that YOU will receive the bigger blessing. That’s not the reason for doing so, but it’s a nice added bonus … and who doesn’t want to be blessed by the Lord!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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