Good morning…
“It’s a tumultuous time,” I heard myself say on our spiritual direction phone call yesterday. The dark skies and driving rain matched the mood of the moment as Hurricane Melissa is barreling down on Jamaica, loved ones are losing jobs, devastating wars continue to rage, and an estimated 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will go without their benefits come Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown.
Volunteering with other Northside Church women in the Afterschool Enrichment program at PAWkids yesterday afternoon, I learned that our friends in the Grove Park neighborhood of our city will be deeply affected. “Sue, all of our families and our seniors rely on these programs for basic nourishment,” said LaTonya Gates, Founder and Director of PAWkids.
“How might we help?” I asked, and LaTonya shared with me the food drive flyer below.
We cannot help all those in need across our globe, but what is “one thing” we each might do today to provide help and hope for vulnerable people caught up in the tumult of this time? Extending the love of God in tangible ways, might we choose another “one thing” tomorrow, and another the next day and the next? Over time, generosity becomes our way of life, and God comes creatively alive among us.
Jesus guides our daily choices. “I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me” (Matthew 25:40, CEB).
…Sue…
