I wrote this at 4 in the morning and read it at my chuch. I hope you like it
I would like to tell you a story about a young mother. Her name is Diane If you would, please close your eyes and try to picture this story as it unfolds. Three weeks ago, Diane’s husband Tom died in a tragic car accident with one of their 3 children, leaving Diane with a small baby and a 2 year old child. Now when Tom was alive, he did very well at his job and received a very nice salary. Diane was a stay at home mom. She loved her children and would have it no other way.
She never went to college and never really had any type of formal training. Tom always took care of the finances and paid all the bills. That was really not Diane’s thing and Tom was ok with that. They had a fairly large house in a wonderful neighborhood, 2 nice cars, and everything they could ask for. What Diane did not know was they were very deeply in debt and there house was already in foreclosure. Diane was an only child and both her parents died shortly after Tom and her got married. They never really spoke to Toms parents. He always mumbled something about they just did not see eye to eye.
Diane is sort of a loaner. She does not have many friends. The friends that she does have, are really in no position to help her financially, so Diane go’s and tries to get a job. Without any education she has a hard time, but finally gets a job working at a convince store as a clerk. Since she really can’t afford day care for her two small children, she tries to sneak them behind the counter, but quickly get fired about a week later.
As she steps off the bus, she walks up to a sheriff at her front door. He tells her to get what she can because her house has just been sold at auction and she can’t stay there anymore. She grabs what food is left and puts it into a small garbage bag, picks up her 2 small children and starts to walk down the street. As she walks into town, she beings to beg people to help her, but everyone just walks buy like she is not even there.
It is late November and it is starting to get dark and cold. She steals a few blanks off a clothes line and heads down to an underpass where she remembers seeing some homeless people. They will at least be a fire, she thinks. When she gets there, she curls up near some trash with her 2 small children and wraps them with blankets. Cold and hungry, the babies start to cry
Can you see her there? Can you see the 2 shivering babies wrapped in blanket? Can you hear them crying?
A drunken man starts to yell at them, saying he was going to kill those kids if she does not keep them quiet. She picks them up and starts to run. Tired, scared and broken she walks to a local shelter. She drops the two children off, and walks out the door. She goes into the back ally and falls to her knees. Crying…
Please, if you would, keep your eyes closed. Now picture yourself walking on a path in the middle of a field. You can feel the warm summer wind in your face. You can smell the fresh air and wild flowers as you walk down the path. Up ahead you can see a very bright light. As you get closer, you can see this bright light just beyond a large iron gate. As the gate starts to open, you realize that you did not make it last night and you are about to meet God. As you pass through the gate, you can see him sitting on his throne surrounded by thousands of angels singing and praising his name. As you kneel down at his feet…. the singing stops. He looks down at you and says.
Why did you not help me when I reached out to you in that ally?
James 1:17 (New International Version)
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Everything we own, everything we have comes from God. So when we give, we simply offer him a very small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us.
Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God! It comes from a heart of worship. For everything we give already belongs to him!
We walk around every day ignoring Gods raised hand to us. We go to our jobs.. hoping we will not see that young girl with those 2 crying kids asking us for money again. We go back to our houses with our 2 cars parked in the garage, wandering what we can buy to fulfill the next couple moments of fleeting happiness.
I am not here to make you feel guilty are depressed or sad. I now know what it feels like to open my heart and pick that young mother off that ground. Do you know that feeling? Do you want to know that feeling?
I would like to tell you a story about a young mother. Her name is Diane If you would, please close your eyes and try to picture this story as it unfolds. Three weeks ago, Diane’s husband Tom died in a tragic car accident with one of their 3 children, leaving Diane with a small baby and a 2 year old child. Now when Tom was alive, he did very well at his job and received a very nice salary. Diane was a stay at home mom. She loved her children and would have it no other way.
She never went to college and never really had any type of formal training. Tom always took care of the finances and paid all the bills. That was really not Diane’s thing and Tom was ok with that. They had a fairly large house in a wonderful neighborhood, 2 nice cars, and everything they could ask for. What Diane did not know was they were very deeply in debt and there house was already in foreclosure. Diane was an only child and both her parents died shortly after Tom and her got married. They never really spoke to Toms parents. He always mumbled something about they just did not see eye to eye.
Diane is sort of a loaner. She does not have many friends. The friends that she does have, are really in no position to help her financially, so Diane go’s and tries to get a job. Without any education she has a hard time, but finally gets a job working at a convince store as a clerk. Since she really can’t afford day care for her two small children, she tries to sneak them behind the counter, but quickly get fired about a week later.
As she steps off the bus, she walks up to a sheriff at her front door. He tells her to get what she can because her house has just been sold at auction and she can’t stay there anymore. She grabs what food is left and puts it into a small garbage bag, picks up her 2 small children and starts to walk down the street. As she walks into town, she beings to beg people to help her, but everyone just walks buy like she is not even there.
It is late November and it is starting to get dark and cold. She steals a few blanks off a clothes line and heads down to an underpass where she remembers seeing some homeless people. They will at least be a fire, she thinks. When she gets there, she curls up near some trash with her 2 small children and wraps them with blankets. Cold and hungry, the babies start to cry
Can you see her there? Can you see the 2 shivering babies wrapped in blanket? Can you hear them crying?
A drunken man starts to yell at them, saying he was going to kill those kids if she does not keep them quiet. She picks them up and starts to run. Tired, scared and broken she walks to a local shelter. She drops the two children off, and walks out the door. She goes into the back ally and falls to her knees. Crying…
Please, if you would, keep your eyes closed. Now picture yourself walking on a path in the middle of a field. You can feel the warm summer wind in your face. You can smell the fresh air and wild flowers as you walk down the path. Up ahead you can see a very bright light. As you get closer, you can see this bright light just beyond a large iron gate. As the gate starts to open, you realize that you did not make it last night and you are about to meet God. As you pass through the gate, you can see him sitting on his throne surrounded by thousands of angels singing and praising his name. As you kneel down at his feet…. the singing stops. He looks down at you and says.
Why did you not help me when I reached out to you in that ally?
James 1:17 (New International Version)
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Everything we own, everything we have comes from God. So when we give, we simply offer him a very small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us.
Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God! It comes from a heart of worship. For everything we give already belongs to him!
We walk around every day ignoring Gods raised hand to us. We go to our jobs.. hoping we will not see that young girl with those 2 crying kids asking us for money again. We go back to our houses with our 2 cars parked in the garage, wandering what we can buy to fulfill the next couple moments of fleeting happiness.
I am not here to make you feel guilty are depressed or sad. I now know what it feels like to open my heart and pick that young mother off that ground. Do you know that feeling? Do you want to know that feeling?
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