This is an email I received from one of our clan.
Jack,
I am grateful to be able to share in your thoughts and ideas regarding these dear people. I don't often stop long enough to self-reflect and analyze how I'm living my life and what I could do to be a greater asset to society...I just live. I appreciate these insights and they've really prompted me to do just that.
What comes to mind when I think about the challenges these folks face and what society can do better is Maddie. Through my mom, she has been introduced to the large community that makes up "Community Kitchen". I'm sure you've heard of it. It's the no cost lunch that is provided through the Western Theological Seminary but recently, was housed at my mom's church, First United Methodist. Maddie began helping in the kitchen several times a week and began venturing out into the dining area, picking up dirty dishes and refilling water glasses. Through this experience, she met several people, both men and women, and really developed a type of bond with them that shows up in various aspects of our day.
Most kids today that grow up in warm homes with plenty to eat and a comfy bed to sleep in don't witness the poverty struggle. It took her a while to grasp the fact that many of these folks coming in for lunch don't necessarily have a home to go back to or money to buy groceries. I still don't think she fully understands that but the beauty of that is she doesn't look at them any differently than anyone else. It's that child innocence that most of us lose.
Now when she sees someone on a street corner, she digs into her purse....EVERY TIME. Once, she gave a couple of dollars to a man and he was so moved, he literally gave her the bracelet off of his wrist. She treasures that bracelet and we talk about that encounter often.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you. Thanks for giving me a reason to pause my busy life, to stop and think about these issues and what we can do to help God's people.
God bless!
Linda
The email speaks for itself. Here is the goodness of the community and older generations walking the path of goodness for its youth and the younger generation responding in such a way as to be inspirational to the community and older generations.