“Give me money.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that right now.”
“Why do you want my family to starve?”
This was the beginning of an actual conversation I had with
a real person who possessed real needs and real feelings. I have
to say, I was very caught off guard by this bold statement directed towards me.
Part of me was shocked that someone could just blatantly make such a claim, and
wanted to jump into defensive mode; leery of the possibility that this
individual may have been trying to manipulate me into giving them money. The
other part of me was really shaken up by this, realizing that the person I was
speaking with may, in fact, have been in a level of such great desperation that
they felt the need to go to such extreme measures in order to get my attention.
At somewhat of a loss for words, I began to ask the young
man about his family. Although there was a bit of a language barrier, from my
understanding, he was trying to tell me that his mother was ill and his father
had left their family. There was a sadness in his voice, and in the moment I really
just wished I could meet all of his needs. We talked for a little while longer,
and I left the boy with a promise to pray for his family through this difficult
time.
Honestly, I am not satisfied with how I handled this. I wish
I would’ve given him a meal to take home, or something more. It happened very
quickly, and I was not fully prepared for it. Nevertheless, this encounter
really shifted my perspective.
While it would be easy to overlook this exchange and focus
on the happy memories I had in Haiti, I must not neglect the gravity of encounters
like this. That conversation was NOT comfortable! Nonetheless, it was an important conversation. It reminded me
to stay in tune with the needs of those around me. It challenged me to be more
willing to sacrifice, putting others before myself. It pushed me to lean more
on the direction of the Holy Spirit, and less on my own understanding.
Although I am not advocating passing out money to strangers,
I think it is very important that, when appropriate, we are willing to make a
sacrifice for others. The reality is, while some people may have genuine needs
and others may have ulterior motives, each person has a story. Likewise, we
must be willing to sit down and listen. We must be willing to take time for
them, meanwhile listening to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it’s a prayer they need, or
maybe it’s a meal. Maybe it’s just a smile or hug.
Whatever the case may be, I challenge you, as I have been personally
challenged, to be step outside your comfort zone and offer yourself to be used by
God. Allow yourself to love people in the way that Jesus loved us. I am
learning that offering this type of love is often a gateway to making God's unconditional love known to those around us.
Until next time,
Tamara
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