Every day I see examples of the poor giving all that they have
in the moment to others who in their eyes need it more.
The homeless teenager who walking out of Tim Horton's with his coffee is approached by an old woman who from her clothing is
also homeless, “change to spare she
tentatively asks, Yep replies the teenager and passes what is left of his money to her and walks away”.
This boy not yet a man has no idea where his lunch will come
from and in that moment a hot coffee in his hand and his breakfast donut
already digesting he identified in this woman a need he could fill and so he
gave her the last of his money.
Later that day leaving the conference that brought me to
Toronto I saw the teenager with a coffee jar in front of him begging for
supper money.
I asked him if he
regretted giving the old woman the money earlier in the day, “what, hell no she
needed it more” and now you are in need I offer because of that gesture.
“No you got it wrong lady, because I helped her I know someone
will help me, just works that way, you know like some other homeless person
will have extra, like Mike last week he shares that’s how the world works.”
That is how the Christian world is meant to work and yet in
that moment I knew I only gave from my wealth always holding back enough to
ensure I protect
myself against the day I might not have enough money.
Psalms 146 yet again reminds us who Christ became a serve
7 Who executeth justice for the oppressed; Who giveth food to
the hungry. Jehovah looseth the prisoners; 8 Jehovah openeth the eyes of the
blind; Jehovah raiseth up them that are bowed down; Jehovah loveth the
righteous; 9 Jehovah preserveth the sojourners; He upholdeth the fatherless and
widow; But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
And after reading this weeks scriptures once again I see the 'eye of the needle' that I have to pass through and like the wealthy man of the Bible I turn ashamed because I have much and I am afraid to give it away and trust God to provide.
Yes we attend church faithfully and we give
of our wealth each week in the offering plate yet we holding back large portions of our wealth and we ensure we get a
tax receipt.
And we with money in our pockets we walk past the homeless and hungry, ensuring we do not make eye contact least they make demands upon us.
We do not give like the
widow or teenage boy!
Grandma Snyder
©2013-2014 twosnydergirls
Readings this week 1 Kings 17:8-16 Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44
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