blessed are you who are poor.

"hi m." i said as i approached the woman who always sits in the park. "how are you today?"
"oh, i'm doing fine." she replied in her soft voice. "elisabeth, have you had something to eat today?"
"yes, i have," i answered, knowing this time that if i answered in the negative she would reach into her small plastic bag and given me exactly half of what she had been given that day, including a bottle of water (even though it was 100 degrees outside), for that's what she had done the previous week. every day since then i have seen her carefully and quietly walk around and offer each one of the clients in the park some of her food. we don't know m. well. we don't know why she is living in the park or why she doesn't want to talk to us. but we do know that something in her longs to nurture and care for others. and she has a generous spirit. what else would compel her to ask others if she could give out of the meager food that she had?

m. reminds me of a story that is found in the gospel of luke. Jesus and His disciples are standing near the temple and Jesus sees "the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury". He then sees a poor widow put in just two small "mites" as one translation calls them. Jesus then states that "this poor widow has put in more than all the others...".

i learn a lot from my clients.

i learn grace. yesterday i was a mess. i couldn't drive. i couldn't talk. i kept dropping things. i was taking a client to get a police clearance and he was chuckling the whole time. when i dropped him off he turned to me and said "elisabeth--you and me, we're gonna be okay."

i learn humility. every day my client tells me something about "the system" i did not know. and often times, they have way more knowledge than i, they just need a little bit of encouragement to take advantage of the resources.

i learn patience. mr. w is one of my clients who teaches me this every day. he's a soft-spoken southern gentleman, who always looks out for my co-worker and me. and whenever there's a set back, he always says "well, liz, that's okay." and gives me a big grin.

when i started this job my prayer was that every day i would be a learner. that i would learn something from the people that others think that i "help". and without even trying every day it happens.

i think in the world we have it mixed up. especially in the united states. we think that if we have material resources, or if we have a large house that God has blessed us. we think that living "the good life" is a sign of blessings from God. but Jesus turns all of that upside down when in luke He says "blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the Kingdom of God..." and the poor are blessed. blessed with grace, with patience, with giving spirits, with humility and gentleness. when i think of those who most clearly exhibit the fruits of the spirit to me it is my clients. without even trying they care for others, even if they don't always know how to care for themselves.

when Jesus came He turned everything upside down. He said blessed are the poor, the weak and the weary--when our world exalts all that is rich, powerful and strong. He said that two mites is worth more than the millions--not because of the amount but because of the Spirit. He instructed us to love our enemies. and ultimately He died a brutal death in order that we may have life and in living have hope.

the more involved i get with my clients the more i long for Jesus to come back and show us again what this world should be. the more i long to exhibit His love to others and to live this upside down world. will you join me?

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**i know that i have not written in awhile. i want to say that i will be better at it...but in all honesty, i won't. i'm loving living the community life a little bit too much, and rarely take time to sit at my computer alone...