A woman came into the food pantry
today. She is one of our regulars. Every time she comes in and I am here, we
end up talking for awhile. I feel as though through our visits I have gotten to
know a little about her situation. Today she came almost in tears. She shared
that after 40 years, she had divorced her abusive husband and currently had a
restraining order on him. Things were tight, but she had taken a courageous
step for her and her grandson who lived with them. Each time she had been in
before today, she always shared how much she hated coming in. You could hear
the defeat and frustration in her voice. I have spent many times telling her
that we are here for people like her. She is the reason we are here. Today
walked in a different woman. Dressed and groomed well, she held a new
confidence. She finally could explain the burden that she carried. We prayed together before she left. We thanked
God for giving her the courage to do what was necessary for her grandson. We
asked for courage for the road ahead. Today, she didn’t come in just for
groceries. She came to be heard. She came for prayer. She came be connected
with Christ’s body.
This is often the story of those
who visit our food pantry. They don’t stand silently as they receive help. They
reach out to be heard. They share about their struggles with disabilities and
unexpected medical problems. The talk about how they are serving as the safety
net for family and friends who have found themselves homeless. They share their
frustrations of having teenage kids who complain about not having the name
brand things that their peers have, and about how they are trying to do what is
right by paying their utility bills before those things.Some of them sit among us on Sunday morning. Some of them are involved with KICK. Many of them hold burdens we have no idea are there.
When people come to our food
pantry, we don’t just feed their stomachs. We feed their souls. We listen to
their stories and pray for them. We encourage them to walk more like Jesus. We
help them to feed those extra house members when they open their homes and
hearts to those in need. We encourage them to persevere. We pray with them, and
remind them that even in hard times, God walks with them.
Here we feed souls. And today I
thank God for giving us that opportunity.
