Verse 20

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20 (NIV)

Well, it's been a while since I last posted on a verse from Proverbs 31. Tonight's verse speaks of a generous woman who gives what she can to help those who are less fortunate than herself.

We live in Michigan which is a really depressed state right now. I guess we are at the bottom concerning financial affairs. We can shift blame around - "It's Engler's fault." - "It's Governor Granholm's fault." - "It's the industries' fault."

Problem is, pointing a finger does a lot of hurting people no good at all. Proverbs 31:20 is a call to all of us to help people in need; doesn't really matter whose fault it is, does it? There are poor people all around us. Our family is poor...really. But we are MUCH better off than a lot of other people.

We have a large house. We can use the nice building we live in to give refuge to someone who might have just lost his home. (Ugh, this would be hard for me because it seems like we're cramped already, but it would be good for me to learn to share my space)

I have canned and frozen a lot of produce. I can share some of that to someone who has nothing to eat. (Are there really people like that living here in rural America?)

I don't have cash...seriously, so that would not be an option, but I do have a lot of TIME. Yeah, I'm busy 24/7 it seems, but some things could be put off in order to lend a listening ear, babysit for a busy young mom, read to or play games with a lonely child (older adult?).

Fact is, there are a lot of things I can do to ease another's suffering. I need to do what I can because it honors God when I do.