The Poor. The Widow. The Orphan.

I have spent an entire month writing this blog in my head...and still as I write I am not sure what to say. I have gone from one extreme to the other in my thoughts and have ended up angry, sad, and frustrated. So I decided I am just going to write and see if I work anything out.

I am passionate about feeding the poor, caring for the widow and the orphan. I have spent many sleepless nights knowing that we as Christians aren't doing enough. I hate knowing that there are hungry people, worried about waking up tomorrow, walking around while we have plenty. My husband and I take pride in wasting very little in our home because we have both seen poverty first hand and we know that although the "starving children in Africa" will never see the wasted dinner that goes into the trash can, we want to show our gratitude for what God has given us.

This Christmas, we flew home to Arizona. It was a good-for-the-soul kind of visit. I needed to be recharged, to gain my bearings, in a time when I am feeling a little battered and beaten. I took full advantage of spending time with my family. My mom was asked to serve as a translator and sort of a case worker for a family that her Sunday school class had adopted and cared for over the last two years. She had sort of filled me in on the details of the family, and my heart breaks every time I recall the suffering that they face on a daily basis.

The family is large. There are eight children and a mom and a dad. They live in a small trailer park on the far south side of the city. Their story is not unique. I am pretty sure it is the same suffering that many families face in Tucson and all over the country. They are illegals. Well, some of them are. The dad appears to be a hard worker. He is willing to do whatever he can, be it legal or illegal, to provide a roof over their heads and put food on the table.

Let me first say, I by no means want to take a political stance on this situation. I am grateful for what the police and border patrol do to protect my home state. God knows the situation there is scary and near impossible. I don't have the answer. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this - I would be waving my magic wand and fixing the situation! But at the end of the day, we still have thousands of suffering human beings, and I for one cannot leave them hungry and hurting. They are people. Paperwork should never stop someone from helping those in need.

I decided to tag along Christmas Eve Day to spend a little time with my mom and to spread some Christmas cheer! I thought it would be an uplifting way to spend the morning delivering gifts and a Christmas dinner to a family who was in need. We were meeting a fellow Sunday schooler along the way. From the moment that she stepped foot in our car, I could tell that she had never seen poverty before. She filled us in on the family and all that the Sunday school class had done for them over the past two years. However, I could detect anger, hostility, and maybe a hint of prejudice in her tone.  She wanted to get them on their feet so they could "take care of themselves."

Again, don't get me wrong - I am totally for teaching and educating people so they can be self-sufficient! I have helped devastatingly poor people apply for jobs and build resumes. I have written dozens of reference letters. I have filled packages of seeds for families in Africa so they can have their own farm. I get that. It is important, critical even, to teach and disciple people so that they can one day see the light at the end of the tunnel.

However - how, in the moment, with a hungry belly and a nagging fear for the future, can we expect a family to learn for and care about next year, if they can't even see past tomorrow? We want people who barely make ends meet to think about saving so they can move out of rented space, or to 'invest' so that they can make money in the long run. When someone is hungry, they are living in the moment. When I am hungry, I have a hard time focusing on much else until that need is fulfilled, and I have never come home to an empty pantry...

The woman made the mistake of expressing her distaste and disdain for this family's handling of their finances and legal affairs to us. I think she thought we were all on the same page. She was suspicious of the family, positive that they were taking the money and gifts from the class and squandering them. The basis for her concerns has to do with a one time gift of $500 to the family to move their trailer to a different, cheaper location. The family never moved...duh. If I never had money for food or clothing for my family and someone handed me $500, I am guessing you wouldn't see me packing up to move, even if in the long run it would save me money. Again, I ask how you can expect someone who doesn't have their basic needs met to see past tomorrow, or the next meal for that matter?

I unleashed. Perhaps it was the Depro-Lupron (my shot), or perhaps it was a long time coming. I am sick and tired of Christians not living up to their potential. I am hurt that we sit there arguing about theology and philosophy, but we so often let the hungry continue in their suffering. I am angered that children in our neighborhoods go to bed hungry because we choose to live in a state of ignorance, and believe me, to that sweet child, ignorance is not bliss.

I feel like I have spent the last three years repeating the exact same thing. We, as the Body of Christ, cannot tell people about the love of God if we are not willing to show it. We cannot tell people about the Bread of Life if we are not willing to give them the bread that they need to continue living.  We cannot keep talking about a God who meets our needs if we are not willing to roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and physically feed the poor, care for the widow, and clothe the orphan. It is time for us to accept the fact that 12.9 million children in America are living below the poverty line. That isn't just a number, those are children who play, sing songs, jump rope, and dream. I hope with all that is inside of me that we as believers can start given them something to dream about...

So, as we give, serve and help, please for the sake of those in need, do so with a joyful heart. I can promise you that if it came down to lying, stealing, or swindling to fill my babies bellies, I would. Give so that moms and dads don't have to make that choice!

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."
2 Corinthians 9:7