I wanted to share a conversation I had this morning with a very dear friend, that has been on my mind ever since. See, my friend gets irritated and upset when I help others. She loves me deeply and knows that my resources are very limited as a single mother and she feels I need, most importantly, to care for own my family. She, like my mom, have always said to me, "Well, you can't take care of the whole world Alane!" I remember hearing that repeatedly as a child and it never "felt" right to me then either.
My assessment of that way of thinking is this; Well, no, we can't heal or take care of the whole world now can we? BUT, I have repatedly seen in my life that the Lord continually gives us ways we can help people. I have never had a whole lot of money in life, but I've seemed to have enough. Even so, I consistently have seen the Lord provide ways in which I can help others, money or not! We need to recognize these opportunities when they come knocking on our door. I feel that our responses to these opportunties to care for our fellow man are the responses we will have to account for when we pass.
In terms of charitable contributions, no, I don't send hundreds of dollars to charities, but I do have two charities I have spported my whole adult life, and I do send them $10, $15 and $20 throughout the year. So, no, I am not saving the world, but I am doing my very small part. My feelings are that all of these small parts we can do, add up to a tremendous difference on the face of this planet.
This week two boys were visiting my fifteen year old son, and when they had left my son told me they are homeless and that he had gave them a blanket to take with them as it is getting quite cld now. I was stunned and saddened. I had just made dinner and had waited for his frinds to leave before I served it. I felt awlful, and wish I had known they were homeless (and hungry) before they had left my home. I made sure to get enough chicken out of the freezer to feed those boys tonight. It made me sick as I thought of them leavng in the cold last night to go sleep in an abandoned warehouse here in town. I actually saw in my mind's eye, myself and my two children walking around town with a blanket and no place to live, and I sure would want someone to help me. and I also saw in my mind's eye, Jesus seeing them like that and expecting someone to care. Yes, these boys are homeless due to their bad choices, but haven't we all made some verybad choices in life?
Let us all do our small part today okay? We are God's hands on this earth. And if you were to look around, I know you will see those opportunties the Lord has provided to help our fellow man.
Blessings today! Alane
