Seeing the people affected by Hurricane Ike in Houston firsthand has made me think about my/our material possessions and what we can really do to help people in need.
How much "stuff" do we have? Do we try to protect our "stuff" when it might be lost? Most of the poor people in an apartment complex that I visited were very protective of their belongings. What is our pride and vanity for our possessions? Do we have too much, and does it affect our interactions with others? Are they getting in the way of our ministry and witness to others?
What about those who lost possessions in the hurricane: shelter, power, food, belongings, ... How do we help them?
I asked a bunch of people today: "Do you need anything?" Most all of them said, "No." But a few then admitted they needed gasoline for their generator or ice for their food.
Would you be too proud to take help if it was offered? Do we think that we can get by without help from other people? Who would help you if you were a hurricane victim without power? Do you have neighbors or church friends to help? Would you accept help from strangers or some church nearby?
Who would you help if you could?
I met a homeless man yesterday on the north side of Houston. He's lived in his pickup for a year with his 2 dogs after he lost his job. He doesn't have an ice cooler and lives on a - for now - dead-end road in an undeveloped area just off the Hardy Toll road. We talked for a few minutes, and I really didn't know what to say to him. And I didn't know how to help him either, but I gave him some food from my car and offered him a Bible. He said "No, I have one in the truck." I said "God bless you," and drove off, but he haunts me now. What more should I have done? Anything?
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