A Humble Servant

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17. Be completely humble and gentle. Ephesians 4:2

On the third Sabbath of every month, the Homeless Ministry branch of our church provides food, clothing, toiletries, and sleeping bags to the indigent population in Ft Worth. On Friday, we experienced a drastic change in the weather-close to freezing temperatures with rain and chilly winds. As we (my husband and cousin) traveled to our destination, I begin to think about the individuals that were facing the wintry conditions without shelter. My mood changed to match the melancholy atmosphere of the weather. I start to pray for God to bless and alleviate the burden that so many men, women, and children are facing every day of their lives.

As we perused the area for a place to park, it appeared that the population had doubled since my last visit. Providing for others has always been a part of my life; however, the prior experience did not prepare me for the level of human suffering that I witnessed from the warm shelter of my vehicle. I immediately lost focus for the purpose of our mission as overwhelming grief replaced rational thought processes. I felt intense remorse for selfishly desiring more than the necessities of life when there are so many individuals who are without.

Due to the harsh weather conditions, the Deacons made the decision for the women to remain in our vehicles while they served the community. As my cousin and I begin to express the gratitude and humility that we should possess, the tears streamed down our faces. God allowed us to reach a crossroads in our lives by opening our eyes to society’s impoverished conditions. We needed a spiritual wake-up call to boost our spiritual growth. For us to develop the character traits that God desires, we had to witness abject suffering. My prayer is that we always retain the moments that we observed and to always use our extra resources to help those in need.

Dear Heavenly Father, please give us the desire to attain the humility and gentleness that you require from your children to see the world through your eyes. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2017