Living in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
September 12, 2014
Scripture Reading: Romans 14:1-12
For it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.’
So then, each of us will be accountable to God. — Romans 14:1i-12
Before I retired from going to a job every day, I would drive to my gym at 6:00 am every weekday morning to exercise. Rain or shine, in the beauty of spring time or the ice of winter, I would see men and women walking to work. Usually they had on some type of uniform, most with fast food insignias. Some wore hospital scrubs. It is several blocks from my neighborhood to any medical facility and actually to any fast food place. I was a waitress and a nurse’s aide in high school and college. Trust me, you do not need to walk to work for exercise in either job.
My church started a ministry some years ago to provide fuel assistance for people in desperate need and we help a lot of people often with a few gallons of gas to get someone to medical appointments. The need is great and we never have the resources to meet all the requests we receive so we have rules we follow trying the help those with the greatest need. My city also has a bus transportation system, but it does not run at all the times people working shifts must travel and it costs money. I have no idea how these walkers get their children to child care.
These walkers do not earn enough to meet their work related expenses much less support themselves or a family. Apparently, we in society do not see them, not really. They are not a part of our lives unless they are handing us a soft drink or a burger and then we may not look them in the eye. For if we really saw them, we would be forced to see the Christ in each of them and we would be unable to live in a world that did not pay them even enough to meet their work related expenses. We will, I believe, have to account for that to God someday.
Oklahoma Fact: In 2012, 26% of working families with children were classified as low-income—earning less than twice the poverty level.*
Prayer: Lord forgive us for not seeing you in everyone we encounter through our daily walk. Amen.