There are times when get to have glimpses of different life realities. One we may want to ignore is the poverty around us. My first glimpses came while working in Mexico. Seeing the slums there - people living in cardboard boxes on the sides of the hills was heart retching.
Moving forward to Spain years later, I worked alongside of Sisters of India in their soap kitchen. I also spent a lot of time with a group of street kids who had to leave the orphanage when they turned sixteen. Having nothing in lift, they gravitated to others like themselves. There I met Tito, who was now in his mid-twenties. He had nothing but the clothes on his back and spent his days begging on the streets. We would meet and talk while he would eat the sandwiches I brought him. He told me story after story of his life struggle, yet all with such a joyful attitude he met each new day with a hope of good things.
Later in Kenya with my parents, visiting the refugee center which was the focal point where supplies were brought in and later flown in to various cities in Sudan. Kids with nothing but sticks to play with - happy just to have other kids with whom they could play their own version of kick-ball.
Downtown Minneapolis talking to a tall native American who was so drunk he did not know how to get home. Two transgenders we ran in to once the attendant opened the lock so we could use the women's bathroom. The stories and glimpses are still fresh, real.
St Cloud is another place where glimpses happen. Serving in a local fellowship where they had some funds for the poor brought a string of people in seeking aid. We came up with a voucher system so true needs would be what the gifts would go toward. Once in awhile we would also pay an electric bill or helped with their rent. In the midst of this cycle, I met C out on the streets asking for help. I gave her a voucher and hoped it would help her get a meal. Over the months I ran in to her more than once. After awhile she would walk from downtown out to our location, which would take her hours. She was thin enough, giving her vouchers for her next meal, always seemed needed. I learned she has lost everything. We offered to help her recover her ID so she could stay in a shelter. C was resistant to that option. Our help seemed very limited. Over the years we saw her on multiple occasions. Now C is outside of my reach and I am unsure of her current well being. I keep C in my prayers that she will one day find her way to a better life.
In all our communities there are those struggling to make ends meet or to just get through the day. I encourage you all to find a place to plug in and make a difference.
