When It Comes to Need and Provision

What do we have to bring to the table besides a fork and a need?

Today is officially the 10 year anniversary of shaking the dust off my feet as I left my training ground in northern Missouri.  In that northwest Missouri city, I'd operated an outreach mission in what was deemed a blighted neighborhood, maintained my membership and attendance at the local synagogue, while visiting nearly every church in the town on Sundays.  I'd also served as a school mentor in that blighted neighborhood, worked the food kitchen with my fellow congregants from synagogue, conducted Bible studies at the state mental health facility, and served as both police and fire chaplain for the city.  It all seems sort of a blur, now, but in that time I was learning and being trained for what I am now doing.

All of the duties mentioned in the previous paragraph were regular weekly responsibilities, except fire and police which were monthly meetings, but 24/7 on call emergencies.  I wasn't called on every call, only deaths, and thankfully there were not many criminal or fire deaths, but there were some.  Now the point I'm getting to regarding need and provision is, all of these "positions" came with a title and responsibility but no monetary compensation, whatsoever.  I had a modest income from an annuity, and by modest, I mean less than $600.00 a month.  I also had some reflexology clients @ $15.00 a session.  With that income, I was able to pay the utilities, keep gas in my car and insurance, and provide a weekend meal for the children in the neighborhood who came to the Bible class.  In that time, I actually had a few folks who simply handed me money, saying Abba had told them to give it to me.  That didn't occur frequently, but it did happen on occasion.  I also had folks, religious folks, asking for donations and bills to be paid . . . which did occur with regularity!

Through that time, I was also blessed to do a bit of traveling in mission work, and I would always receive an extra blessing along the way. In running this little outreach ministry, a larger church that was 501c3 agreed to stop sharing a devotion at their food pantry . . . Something about state donations.  It was through this time, they asked if they could donate the perishable leftovers to the mission I ran.  It was mostly veggies and prepackaged salad mixes, which just happens to be my very favorite food and probably least favorite of kids!  I was honest with them and told them salad was my favorite, but "my kids" probably wouldn't eat it.  They said, "Enjoy!"  So for three and a half years my grocery bill was less than $20.00 a week which included feeding the children on Saturday night.

 Traveling ministry was enjoyable, but I clearly heard that my mission call was to America, and three weeks before 9/11 Abba led to me to a computer ministry.  That in itself is quite a story, but that will be an article for another day.  Back to this preparation for barter and sharing.  My monthly bills also included a land line for the mission and a cell phone for my volunteer chaplain duty.  When I heard the call to move into the computer ministry, an internet connection also became a monthly bill as well.  I was still able to save some money!  In that seven years of running that mission, I discovered how very little I actually needed and how content I was just to be serving YHWH, but He was still simplifying me.

Now, as I prepare for others to join or just continue to reach out in this area, I have an electric bill, a communication bill, and a feed bill, which are all paid monthly and still amount to less than $600.00 a month.  I'm blessed with income from a business and book sales, but to this date, it hasn't put me in a new tax bracket.  I do not live "poor as a squirrel" in winter, not at all!  But, in over two decades, by the grace of YHWH and change of dependency, my cost of living has remained under $600.00 a month.  When it comes to need and provision, one of the biggest lessons I've learned and believe I will teach others is just how little worldly wealth it takes when we realize YHWH truly is our Provider.

Paying Forward

The title of this article is a term that really doesn't set well with me, politically speaking, but it seems appropriate for the grocery store.  I'd like to appeal to all those who receive a discount, primarily senior.  This does not apply to those who are having to decide between filling a prescription or eating cat food, but rather to those of us who are still actively in the workforce, but our silver locks afford us a discount on certain days.  Honestly, I really cannot understand how I should be more deserving of a discount than a young couple trying to feed and clothe their family.

I've been on this soapbox before, but I've gotten to know some of the cashiers at the local grocery store.  We're not organizing a club or anything, and bless their hearts, there's no gossip going on.  There are young families in real need and any little bit of assistance is greatly appreciated by the clerks.  They've shared with me, how heart breaking it is to watch someone start putting things back, especially when it's simple staples like bread and milk at the end of the month.  These are not people who have a cart full of ready made food and children screaming for candy.  These are people who are what we now know as "the working poor."  How can this be, in America?

Mr. B dropped me off at the market the other day and he headed to O'Reilly's.  I knew I should take my time and I did, but I still ended up at the end of one of the checkouts for awhile and that's when I got to see what is happening.  I try to make it a point to go on Tuesday, which is senior discount day.  As it turns out, the senior discount is about the same percentage as the tax rate, so I can estimate what it will be.  The store was quite busy, so I was able to witness several transactions.  Of course, there were several seniors that seem to make a point to shop on the discount day.  There were several younger shoppers also though. Perhaps they were taking advantage of the advertised sales before they changed or avoiding the pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday shoppers.  At any rate, I watched the majority of the crowd pay with plastic.  It could have been debit cards or SNAP benefit cards.  I couldn't tell, but it is also possible to use credit cards at the grocery store.  Can you imagine paying interest on a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, and toilet tissue?

When I turned 55, I determined my senior discount would serve a better purpose than giving me a discount on dog food and coffee.  The cashiers will work you on this.  As the cashier spoke the other day, she shared that "she has a pretty good idea of the regulars who are struggling."  It's the only grocery store in town.  A few dollars discounted is not going to change whether or not I am supplied, but a few dollars for a young struggling family may be the difference between a gallon of milk, or going without.  As an aging boomer, I really did want to leave the next generations a better world, but now as a Bible believer, I know that simply is not going to happen.  As a Bible believer, however; I can leave my change and redirect my senior discount, paying forward, to "feed the lambs."