April 5th, 2005

Bowser

Tribe of Judah StarCraft Series Chapter Leader
Sharing Our Riches

If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?

-1 John 3:17 (TEV)

I couldn't see myself in the verse quoted above. I wasn't rich. I was a student renting a room in a house with three roommates. I rode my bicycle to campus because I couldn't afford a parking permit. I sewed my clothes and ate budget-priced meals.

At college, my Christian fellowship group volunteered at a shelter for the homeless. I was shocked at the lines of people waiting. Space was limited, and many would sleep on the streets again that night.

We sorted women's clothes, putting aside some garments for homeless women who needed them to wear to job interviews. Many of the clothes were stained and torn; yet when the women came, I was humbled by their gratitude for these discarded clothes.

In the women's dormitory at the shelter, we washed sheets. Children shared a twin cot with their mother because the shelter was so full. There was no privacy. That night I walked into my house and saw a refrigerator with food in it, a bed in a private room, and clothes in my closet. I was rich. I've learned that God won't ask me to give what I don't have, but God provides all I have to give.

Susan Klein (Iowa, U.S.A.)

Prayer:
Loving God, thank you for the riches of our life. As you have opened your heart to us, help us open our heart to those in need. Amen.
 
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