As a new mom, I have been trying to think through the type of life I want to lead, what priorities I want to guard within our home. I don't want my children growing up hearing about how they need to be good to make Jesus happy. They don't need to work for His approval. What I want is for my daughter to grow up in love with Jesus' heart for the lost, and the plan that God set forth from the beginning...a plan to right the wrong, to bring healing to the broken, to make all things new. He is bringing Heaven to Earth, and we are so blessed to be a part of it.
The city where I currently reside is considered one of the top 10 cities in America to raise a family. And yet, recently in the church-wide women's Bible study I attend, there was an announcement made that children in several elementary schools have been walking to school barefoot. It's December. And it's quite likely that if these children do not have shoes, then they do not have coats or hats either.
As a former teacher in a school with much poverty, I can attest to the fact that if a child does not have their basic needs met, they cannot focus on school work. Meeting the basic needs of a child not only serves them as they walk to school, but also serves them by helping them learn so that they can continue on to graduate high school and build a life for themselves.
Beyond that, I have noticed an attitude among the wealthy high school student population in this city that considers the high school where these elementary schools feed into "the ghetto". Many of these students have been raised in Christian families. What saddens me most about this is the lack of compassion and the misunderstanding projected on these students. I wonder where these affluent students would be if they had grown up walking to school barefoot in the snow?
Teaching at a school where poverty is high and family lives are complicated and stressful is also a very challenging task. Often I found myself feeling like I had no more options. I couldn't get a hold of parents. I didn't know how to reach the students. Every story, every family situation, was so complex and different.
If you know a teacher who is working at a school like this, I can guarantee it would do such wonderful things for their hearts (and their stamina!) if you were to check in with them to see if there is any way you can help!
And if you want to help the students, I know that shoes, hats, scarves, coats...any clothing item that YOUR child needs for school would probably be a lovely gift for a student who is struggling.
In the end, as believers, I think it is important for us to remember that it isn't the governments job to take care of the poor. Whatever you believe about taxes, whatever bitterness you might harbor towards the cycle of poverty and homelessness, those are issues for you to work through. But in the end, the final truth is that God called US as His Body to take care of orphans, widows, and the poor.
It's time for us to stop making excuses and start investing in the lives of the people who need to know that God is the God who sees, provides, and protects.
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