Poverty

I so distinctly remember the same panic. I came home from school one day and my Mom didn't tell me that she wasn't going to be home. I had to be around 10 ish. After the anxiety washed away I remembered the back up plan. I was supposed to go to Mrs. Cromack;s house down the street, if ever I couldn't get into my house for any reason. Now when you grow up in the woods, "next door," or "down the street" is a little bit of a walk. Bravely, I walked the path until I got there. Knocking on her door it was obvious that this loving elderly woman was not expecting me. However, she smiled wide and invited me in. She tried to call me Mom (before cell phones or answering machines may I add) and we sat at her little kitchen table and ate graham crackers and milk and talked about my day at school. It wasn't until years later when they boarded up her little house and turned it into a shed that I realized that Mrs. Cromack was poor. She was my neighbor. She made me feel safe on a day when I was afraid. I often went to her house when my sister was in the hospital. She made us these special danish squares on our birthdays. We always got to pick the fruit flavor we liked best. Finally, that day when my Mom called to find me, I was happy sitting in her old rocking chair watching the one channel that her TV captured. (My Mom had fallen asleep for a nap and didn't hear me knocking to get in.)

When, I found little Paulina pounding on her door with a tear stained face the other day I knew that feeling she wore. I recalled being 10 all over again. Her Mom had called after the bus had left our after school program. Mom had gotten caught on a late bus and was still a half an hour away. When we dropped her off in the public housing projects it was not uncommon for Mom to not meet us at the bus but for this little five year old to walk herself in and Mom would meet her inside. I could not get ahold of our bus driver to tell him to bring her back. Hopping in my car, I drove down the street to gather her up and let her spend some time with me until me until Mom got home. I ran down to her door, because I could see this small figure frantically pounding on the door. What was worse was that her neighbors were ignoring her. Calling her name, I comforted her and told her what was going on. Immediately, she calmed.

Mom called a few minutes later to tell me that she was closer than anticipated and tried to convince me to "just leave her," until she got home. What was worse was that she informed me that Paulina knew she was supposed to go to the neighbors in events like this. Here is the memory that caught me by surprise. I walked a long way to Mrs. Cromack's house, knocked on the door and she gladly took me in to care for me. In contrast, these neighbors door is less than 50 feet away. Actually, one of the adults was standing outside just staring at Paulina when I walked up. No one was inviting her in. No one was attempting to comfort her. There were no graham crackers and milk. Upon further discussion with Mom she informed me that normally Paulina (who is 5) has her own key and can let herself in.

So many emotions flooded me after I let Paulina off at home and talked about back up plans with Mom if this was ever to happen again. I think the greatest was that this five year old has already begun to learn how to "survive." We wonder why the crust begins to thicken at such an early age. Why I have to stop and talk to a six year old who strings a wonder of curses together every time I see him. Mom has no other choice as a single Mom some days with no help but to give her five year old a key and tell her to wait until she gets home.

Mrs. Cromack was poor financially, but I never knew she was poor. She never lived a life only focused on herself. Being "poor" has nothing to do with socio economic status. It is the homeless man near our house who holds up a sign that says, "I only want money for booze." Any time we offer him food or something to drink he shakes his head and walks away. He is poor. It is the neighbor who will not help a panicked five year old. It is when we become so self focused we genuinely come to believe that we have nothing to give away.

"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them." Isaiah 41:17

We get focused on our thirst and our own lack of water and we forget that the Lord will not forget. It is supposed to be that the two greatest "laws" of the Bible are:

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

So it is that we need to be loving our neighbors as ourselves. "Do to others what you would like them to do to you." Matt. 7:12 This is the basic, moral, "Golden Rule," even if you take Christ out of the equation. I know I am not supposed to be shocked when the world acts like the world. However, if we could be overcome with the love of Christ then we would need to give it away. We wouldn't have to worry about needing to survive, because our poverty would be in his hands. Hands that are big enough to take care of everything. Well, I guess that confirms it once again we are still a people in need of a Savior.