Route 66: Day 67; Deuteronomy 24-27

I fed a homeless guy last night. His name was Edward. It isn't an unusual thing for me to feed someone I see that might be hungry. Maybe it's because my mamma taught me it was impolite to eat in front of others though I don't really know if that applied in this situation since Edward was sitting alone on the dirty curb and I would eat my meal at a nice clean table surrounded by a large group of people who were laughing and chatting with each other. It doesn't really matter but I think the reason I fed him because God placed him in my path to feed and so I did.

In the passage found in Deuteronomy 24, it talked about making provision from excess in our own "fields" for the foreigner, fatherless and the widow. It is just one passage out of nearly 100 found in the Bible that address our responsibility toward caring for the poor. One thing I would also like to point out is that he doesn't say those who are rich be generous. He makes a statement to us all no matter where we find ourselves economically. If you have a "field" big or small he's taking to you.

I have found that the most generous people are actually the ones who can afford it lest. I seen those who had very little of their own divide and share what they had with someone else in need. A couple of years ago, I worked with a small church in one of the poorest areas near my home. We ran a midweek children's service with singing, games, and stories. At the end of the service we fed the children supper and some home baked cookies. Every single time they would ask if there was enough to take home. Some refused to eat what we offered so that they could carry it to a mom or dad, grandparent or sibling who was not in attendance. I like to picture them running into their houses making their little offering to whoever was there becoming givers themselves.

Giving is a simple matter really but its no small thing. Even though each of may only have capacity to make a momentary difference in life of one, man, woman or child it is still worth the effort. It adds up and most of us have more to offer than we think. A hamburger, a smile, a dollar or two, a moment of your time to give recognition. God has placed what others need in our "field" so we get to be generous and practice love. It grows us up a little more into the image of his Son who gave everything.

The feeling you get when you follow through with God's will in your life is exhilarating and makes you want to do more, give, more, love more. I can't describe it. You just have to experience it for yourself. And in case you didn't realize, caring for the poor is God's will for everyone. You, me , everyone. Remember he says it nearly 100 times. After my encounter with Edward. I thought about him all the way home and prayed for his life. Would he always be homeless? Would he someday have a wife? Children? He was a very young man. Where was his family? His parents?  His siblings? Would he make it through the cold night? Would he know Jesus just a little more because someone fed him a hamburger and asked him his name? Only God knew the answers. What I do know for sure, that night, Edward's name was in God's ears and on his mind.