One...Human...Being...At...A...Time

 

I had just gotten to work yesterday when the buzzer at the office door sounded.  I opened the intercom and asked if I could help.  The woman said she’d like to visit with a pastor.  I told her I would be there in just a minute, put away what I was doing, and went to the door.  I recognized the woman as someone we had helped a couple of years ago with a utility bill, although I couldn’t recall any details, and certainly couldn’t remember her name.  I never meet with a woman in the office when I’m the only one there, but since another minister was present in the office area, I asked her to come in and we went into my office to visit.

 She was in need of another utility bill to be paid.  Since we had helped her last time, she obtained work, bought a house with the help of her father co-signing the loan, and was getting back on track.  She had a temporary setback at work, losing one of her clients…she’s a home care aide…and for now was only working about 25 hours a week.  She anticipated being back to full time shortly, however.

 We visited a bit, caught up on things, and as she met our guidelines, I agreed to help her with her bill.  She also mentioned needing gas in her vehicle to get to and from the work she had.  So after arranging for the utility payment, we met at the nearby QuickTrip and I began to fill her tank.

 While I was doing that, I noticed an older woman walking in the parking lot.  Mary was her name.  Mary is homeless, and a frequent visitor to the church office.  She usually asks for water, some food, and so on, is friendly, and we consider her to be one of our “outdoor friends”.  She is, she says, my age, but looks much older.  Her lifestyle has taken a toll on her physical appearance.

 She told me that someone had stolen some of her belongings the night before, but she was doing OK.  She had a QuickTrip coffee cup and told me that yesterday’s coffee was in it.  We visited a bit and I gave her a couple of dollars for fresh coffee, gave her a brief hug, and sent her on her way.  She went on a few yards and sat in the shade with three men younger than she, which is where she was when I left the premises.  I don’t know if she got coffee or not.  It doesn’t matter.  What mattered was our visit and connection in the QuickTrip parking area.

 Also while I was filling the woman’s tank, Nathan, another frequent visitor to the office, happened to drive up in his vehicle.  Nathan isn’t homeless, but has been on the brink of falling into that pit for several years.  Each time, though, he manages to stay just above water.  He’s old enough now to receive Social Security, which is what is keeping him from living on the streets.  His check, though, often goes for things other than food, clothing, and housing,  Even though he tries hard to make things work, he sometimes succumbs to behavior that isn’t the best for him.  I finished filling the woman’s tank and turned my attention to Nathan.

 Even though life hasn’t been good for Nathan and given that he was showing more wear and tear than normal for a man in his mid-60’s, I was surprised at Nathan’s appearance.  He was coughing, appeared somewhat gaunt & thin, and was having some difficulty breathing.  Maintaining my distance, I offered to fill his tank as well, and asked him how he was.  He admitted to having some health issues, said he was tested for COVID a couple of weeks ago, and the test came back negative.  We visited a little more while his tank was filling, and I urged him to go get checked out again, and even if the COVID test was negative, to have a provider see him for his cough and trouble breathing.  He said he would…I finished filling his tank…and he left.

 Having finished my business there, I left as well, thinking about my interactions with all three of these people.  Mary, in all probability, will be perpetually homeless, and will most likely die on the street, possibly due to injuries suffered in an attack of some kind.  Nathan, if he doesn’t quickly get his body back on track, is traveling toward some kind of disability such as COPD, cancer, or liver disease.  He may already be suffering from something like that and just doesn’t know it.  His family, what I know if it, is not especially helpful to him.

 The woman who initially came to the office is literally one minor setback away from losing the battle to stay afloat, especially if additional work does not come her way.  She is overweight, doesn’t walk well, and even though she has what I consider to be a good attitude and desire to get ahead, probably will not be able to do so without making substantial changes in her life and living arrangements.  Her son and daughter live with her and help out some with the bills, but they aren’t earning much either, and together the three of them have more need than they have resources.

 The overriding question I asked myself as I drove back to the church building was, “How in heaven’s name are we supposed to help these people with what they really need?”  In the first place, I don’t even know what they really need.  In the second place, if I did know, I wouldn’t know where to send them or what to do to help them fill that need.  And in the third place, the cost of meeting the need would be more than we as a church or individuals could ever bear.

 All of this gets back to the original question of how are we supposed to help.  And I concluded by thinking that what we as a church did for these people…the gasoline, the utility help, the coffee money, and perhaps most importantly, listening to them & validating their dignity and worth as persons…that’s what we can do.  And so we do it and do it to the best of our ability, in the name of Jesus Christ, with a generous heart and compassionate attitude.  We do what we can with what we have…one…human…being…at…a…time. 

You and I can’t fix the world.  Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk can’t together fix the world.  But we can do what we can do…one person at a time using what God has given us.

 May the blessings you receive from God be multiplied as you in turn give to others.