Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
-Proverbs 19:17
Home.
You all know how home is such a big deal to me. I love being home. Home is my favorite place. I need a reason, and a good one, to walk out my front door and get in my car. So a few years ago, when the plight of the homeless people in our area was (honestly) kind of dropped at my feet, it seemed predetermined: homeless people would become my "thing".
And so it began. I was stunned when our local yarn store agreed to collect homemade hats for our homeless friends. Gorgeous hats, like the one above. I was floored when people started showing up with bags of socks for our Socktober event last October. And now? Now I'm giddy that we are 40 pairs of underwear in to collecting 500 pairs of new underwear for our underwear campaign. The local radio station is running public service announcements. The city's event page on Facebook shares nearly every status. Word is getting around!
But even more, I love the way the Bible deals with giving, especially giving to the poor. God makes it clear: He is all about the poor. Want to touch on something that touches the heart of God? Start with the poor in your community. Your neighborhood. That school down the street.
In fact, God says it this way: if you are kind to the poor, you are lending to Him. And He always repays. Isn't that wildly awesome? Giving to the poor is lending to God, and He repays.
I can't think of anyone I'd rather lend to. Can you?
So let's do it. Let's be the ones who rise above circumstances and setbacks and walk out of our own homes and become a people who are known by our kindness to the poor and overlooked.
Let's be Lord Lenders.
Monday Moment is a little devotional to help kick start your week. See you again next Monday!
11 comments:
This is a lovely post and a great way to start my week. My neighborhood is doing this very thing. Love your cute names.
awesome awesome awesome .. !
Dear Brin - My heart is SO touched by your words. Your challenge is so needed. Our church ignited a 'fire' in the hearts of other church people in our community a few years ago. We were all challenged to minister to the homeless and poor folks of our community. Today a 'center' stands strong in the community and our county, as a result - a testimony of the heart of God to the hearts of people. And the Kingdom of God has added new 'members' as many have embraced the message of God's love that has changed their lives because we stepped up when God called. Thank you for what you are doing in your area.
~Adrienne~
I love this!! And it's so nice to see Monday Moments return!
Hooray for the return of the Monday Moment! Thanks for the great kickstart, Brin.
(P.S. You pinned the idea of Blessing Bags a few years ago on Pinterest and I repinned it. I mentioned it to my grandmother when she was visiting me in New Orleans over Christmas and commented on the number of homeless people she saw. She made me 150 bags with granola bars, socks, soap, and prayer cards to pass out when I'm in traffic and see someone in need. :-))
Thanks, ladies. :) You are such a blessing to my heart.
Kacie- Are you kidding me?! That's the coolest thing ever. In fact... if you see this, would you email me at brin@brinwisdom.com? I'd love to ask you to write a guest post because I'm thinking of starting a series on the blog where we hear from everyday gals like ourselves who show acts of kindness/Lord Lending where we live. If you get a chance, please email me! :) Thanks!
This is beautiful. I think the heart of God is put on display in places like this, don't you? He's all about family...about being together at tables...about reaching out to that one and loving them big. This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing. :)
Omgosh! This is amazing! Please see my comment below...because apparently my 5 am brain can't put all my replies in the right places. :)
Thank you, Sue. You know you're my most loyal reader and blog gal, right? I treasure you and how you're always here with your sweetness. :)
Terri! Thank you. What a cool neighborhood you must have! Thanks for being kind and being here. :) I'm always happy to see your name pop up.
Thanks, Sherry. I appreciate you stopping by. I know from blog stats that people are here and read, but sometimes I wonder who y'all are and what's on your mind. Love seeing this. I'm honored you took time to visit. Thank you!
Post a Comment