Have you ever had a negative initial reaction to someone who is different than you? Most of us would not like to publicly admit these thoughts and feelings, but most of us have probably occasionally come across someone that may have initiated them. A couple of days into the trip, I had been out building rain catchers when I saw a boy with 6 fingers. (Ironically it was actually after the day when I could have cut my finger off.) I had one of those slightly grossed out/creeped out inner first reactions to the sight. Ashamed, I admitted it to my sister-in-law later that evening. That night I prayed that God would forgive me and redeem that type of negative attitude I had. (Stick with me for the rest of the story.)
When God bring someone who is “needy” into your life, what do you do? Deut. 15:7 says, “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tight fisted towards your poor brother.” Often we look down on people who are needy. They often are not the sweetest smelling, finest dressed, most pleasing to look at, and the list could go on about reasons we may think less of them and avoid them. Over and over in the Bible God tells us about His heart for the poor and oppressed. He commands us to live lives of generosity, helping the poor and needy. Prov. 19:17 says, “He who is gracious to a poor man, lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” In 1 John 3:17-18 it says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Prov. 14:31 says, “ Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God.” Psalms 82:3-4 says, “Give fair judgement to the poor man, the afflicted, the fatherless, the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless from the grasp of evil men.” These are just a few verses highlighting how God wants our hearts to reflect His love for the poor.
So the story continues...The next day we had a rather large, tough mountain to climb. As I was breathing a little heavy, sweating a lot, and looking up the hill that seemed to never end, I felt a small hand squeeze mine. There was something a little different to this little boys grip. I looked down (it could have been any of the hundreds of kids we had met along the footpaths) and there was the young boy with the 6 finger hand firmly holding mine. He had big, beautiful, brown eyes that looked up to meet mine, overcoming a language barrier with his eyes that told me, “Come on, I’ll help you.” It took everything I had in me to hold back my tears. All the way up he tightly held onto my grimy, sweaty hand and never let go. He literally pulled me up the mountain, occasionally helping me over a rock as he pulled with all his might to “help” and each time looked me in the eyes as if to make sure I was ok. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to hold his precious 6 finger hand that day.
Deut. 15:11 says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open handed towards your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” Whether it be building rain catchers, helping at your local homeless shelter, babysitting for someone who can’t afford it, mowing for someone elderly, or befriending someone at school or work that needs a friend. Whatever it may be, look to see how God wants to use your life to serve those in need. You may need to first spend some time in prayer asking God to give you an “open hand” and judgement- free attitude. There might be some boys/men reading this, but if you are a young lady listen up. Proverbs 31 gives us some insight into a beautiful example of what a woman living for the Lord looks like. So for this week...Proverbs 31:20 says, “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”
AMEN! :) miss you!! Kim
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