I'm letting you in on an ongoing conversation I've been having with Jesus lately. It is something I've been struggling through recently and I'm opening it up to your input because God also speaks through those around us.
This is from my journal entry this morning.
"Yesterday we (You and me) were talking about generosity and taking care of the poor and the widow.
Micah 6:8 'He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.'
To act justly: to act in accordance with moral or social standards.
moral: concerned with the principles of right and wrong.
to love mercy: the feeling that motivates compassion
compassion: a deep feeling of kindness that results in an act to help.
to walk humbly: meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude or spirit; not arrogant or prideful; unpretentious
God, I want to be generous and compassionate to people less fortunate than me. I want to share my blessings. I have a hard time with the begging though - it doesn't help them with their problem, it only fixes the current symptom: I'm hungry. There are times when I feel you prompting me to give coins to the beggars and other times I just feel frustrated and uneasy. I don't want to give because I see them week after week on the same train, doing the same thing. There are organizations in place to help people get out of poverty (like kiva.org, or mediapilapais.com.ar) - I'd like to invest in something like this - but then where does that leave me with the day to day? Do I set aside money specifically to give in those instances? Do I just listen for your promptings and struggle through the internal feelings?
You had compassion on the beggars and gave them what they needed to improve their life situation in order to give you glory. Do I carry around granola bars or the like in my bag and give those to the hungry beggars and children? (It makes it easier to decide when they are sitting outside the grocery store with specific needs and requests).
I just don't know.
-kait
2 comments:
I don't have a specific answer, but you are not alone in this. I want to help too, but I never know just what to do.
Kait, I feel the exact same way. It's difficult to see how this translates into our lives today. I don't have an answer, either, but I wonder what would happen if you TRIED carrying around granola bars ... would that work? Would it make you feel as though you were helping? It might be an experiment worth taking ...
I do read your blog and pray for you, though I rarely comment. I'm sorry about that, and I'll try to do better in the future!
Ellen
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