This morning started out like many Saturdays here, time in the Word, messages from our kids at home, a video chat with someone who’s settling into their Friday night. Then it was off to the market, between down pours, in our open air motorcycle with sidecar, lovingly called a “trike.”
After dodging huge mud puddles and weaving through the myriad of bamboo tables under small tied tarpoline covers, we had located all the vegetables and meats on the list for Saturday Bible study meal and the bulk of our weekly family dinners and were back at our home along the river bank.
When we arrived the kids informed us that we had visitors. I went upstairs to greet *J and her 4 month old baby and her cousin *A, one of the teen girls who frequently attends our youth group on Saturday evening. J explained the reason for her visit, she was shy to ask, but she wanted to borrow money because her family of five had no food.
I’ve know J since we first came to the Philippines over seven years ago. She was a faithful attender of our Bible studying feedings and even played basketball on a team our daughter helped chaperone when they played on the neighboring island. My most profound memory of J is her elementary school graduation day. Despite already being 16 yrs old, she was thrilled to don her white cap and gown and graduate 6th grade.
The next year she started high school, but before finishing her studies she met a boy who was not part of the tribal community. Soon they were expecting a child and J dropped out of school and became a mom.
Between our first and second terms, J’s situation went from bad to worse. The husband became jealous, not allowing J to ever leave the house without fear of a severe beating. She was pregnant again and terribly thin. Over the years, we’ve helped J when the need arises. J is the youngest of a large family, her mother is a widow and her twin sister is happily married with a child of her own.
J is often a hostage in her own home. Terribly thin, J told me today that the doctor at the rural health center told her the baby is underweight and malnourished. Their situation is heartbreaking.
I sent them home with a bag of rice and some money to buy food. As I prepared my family’s lunch I felt the hopelessness of their circumstances weigh heavy on my soul.
I told my husband that situations like J’s just make me want to give up and go home. He said, “Who helps her if we don’t?” The answer, sadly, is no one.
As I pondered the frustrations of ministry among hurting, poor and broken people, I was reminded that while percentage of people we know and love may be higher than in other places, each of us has the opportunity to bless, love and help someone in true need.
Perhaps you know a young mom who’s struggling under the burden of her “hands full” stage of life, or maybe a senior citizen that never gets a visit and passes lonely hours and days alone. Maybe you know of a center that helps teen mothers, or recovering addicts or provides meals for the homeless.
It’s easy for all of us to shake our heads in defeat and throw up our hands and say, “Why bother?” After all, Jesus says that the poor will always be among us (John 12:8). We aren’t going to solve everyone’s problems. Not everyone will respond to the offer of God’s Gospel through Jesus. We may only have the capacity to bring a smile or some hope to someone who is struggling. But what if we didn’t even do that?
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ … that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4–7)
The needs around you may seem like your little bit of help is but a drop in the sea. But that drop has value, just as each person has value to Christ. When we demonstrate His loving kindness in our lives, when we love because we are loved, when we share because we are blessed… God alone gets the glory. The results are not up to me, I’m called only to obey my Savior and love my neighbor.
How can you love your neighbor today?
