Our church, Trinity, rallied this weekend to provide food for our local food pantry. Kids collected food on Saturday at a party. The church gathered for worship and brought boxes and boxes of goods. The Focus Adult Sunday School class wrapped up a month of their Bucket Brigade to collect money (the food pantry can generally get four times the purchasing power from money than we can). Last night, the junior high youth, with assistance from parents and Dave the truck driver, unloaded all those cans and boxes and bags at the food pantry, and began to stock the shelves.
150 families a day are using the food pantry. They can select 15 items (2 damaged cans count as 1 item) each month, equaling about $100. 15 items. As Shari, one of the parent drivers said, it's like going through the express lane. Once a month.
What 15 items would you choose? If you only had 15 things to last you a month, would you get the bag of dried beans, or the baby cereal, or the diapers, or the deodorant? What would your priorities be, if you found yourself in this situation?
I wondered. Would I get a boxed brownie mix, so my kids could have a treat in the otherwise bleak situation? Or would I be practical and get oatmeal, peanut butter, a large bag of noodles? Would a decision to use conditioner on my hair deprive my family of food? Can we squeeze a little more out of the tube of toothpaste so we can have some boxed cereal?
I don't have to make such choices, but many people do. I have other choices to make. How will I respond to the need that is in the world? If we really believe Jesus, then whatever we do to these 'little ones,' we do to Jesus. My choice is to decide how to respond.
God, grant me generosity to make the choices that are mine, to bring what I can to the collection site, even when no one is sponsoring a drive to encourage me. Have compassion on those who find themselves walking the aisle of the food pantry, trying to figure out how to feed a family on 15 things. Have compassion through me.
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