The Least of These

 Yesterday, I shared that I have started a year-long chronological reading of the Bible.  In the Bible study I'm using, we are invited to share where we see God and His character, or our “God shot”, in each day’s readings.  So far, I've read Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and I'm almost halfway through Deuteronomy.  I must confess that while some days are more challenging than others for me, God’s character is always good, true, loving, and steadfast.  

Today’s readings of Deuteronomy 14-16 continues with Moses reminding the Israelites of God’s expectations of them once they enter the Promised Land since he (Moses) won’t be entering with them.  One such reminder is to make sure they take care of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan…the marginalized, the have-nots, those on the peripheral.  

While I was reading and looking for my “God shot”, I found myself wondering, if God is all-powerful, why He continues to remind the Israelites to take care of this particular group of people.  He obviously cares a great deal about them. He even makes certain that there are adjustments for them in His requirements for offerings.  

It struck me that God has entrusted the Israelites…entrusted us…with caring for and loving this group of people so near and dear to His heart.  He could do this Himself, yet He places their well-being firmly in our hands.  Whew….how humbling. 

I invite you to stop and truly consider the magnitude of this instruction. It’s huge! 

What an honor He has bestowed on us…charging us with such an important task.  To love on, to provide for all those whom He holds so close to His heart.  

So, of course, I had to ask myself how many times does the Bible mention the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten, and the disadvantaged. A quick search gave me the following verses. 

I’m quite confident this is not an exhaustive list.  You may want to sit down…this is going to take a few minutes to read through all of them.  Even better…read them out loud.  It is powerful, indeed. 

Old Testament Verses About Caring for the Poor

1. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan." -- Exodus 22:22

2. "Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits." -- Exodus 23:6

3. "During the seventh year, let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove." -- Exodus 23:11

4. "Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God." -- Leviticus 19:10

5. "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." -- Leviticus 19:15

6. "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God." -- Leviticus 23:22

7. "If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. . . . If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident so he can continue to live among you. . . . If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave." -- Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39

8. "If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan, he retains the right of redemption." -- Leviticus 25:47-48

9. "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing." -- Deuteronomy 10:18

10. "At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied." -- Deuteronomy 14:28-29

11. "However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you." -- Deuteronomy 15:4

12. "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." -- Deuteronomy 15:7

13. "Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin." -- Deuteronomy 15:9

14. "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." -- Deuteronomy 15:11

15. "Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns." -- Deuteronomy 24:14

16. "Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge." -- Deuteronomy 24:17

17. "When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow." -- Deuteronomy 24:19-21

18. "'Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.' Then all the people shall say, Amen!'" -- Deuteronomy 27:19

19. "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. -- " 1 Samuel 2:8

20. "As the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor." -- Esther 9:22

21. "When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night, he steals forth like a thief." -- Job 24:14

22. "Because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him." -- Job 29:12

23. "Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?" -- Job 30:25

24. "If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary." -- Job 31:16

25. "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." -- Psalm 9:9

26. "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." -- Psalm 9:18

27. " Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the Lord, I will protect them from those who malign them. " -- Psalm 12:5

28. "You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge." -- Psalm 14:6

29. "This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." -- Psalm 34:6

30. "My whole being will exclaim, Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.'" -- Psalm 35:10

31. "The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright." -- Psalm 37:14

32. "Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay." -- Psalm 40:17

33. "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." -- Psalm 68:5

34. "Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, 0 God, you provided for the poor." -- Psalm 68:10

35. "The poor will see and be glad — you who seek God, may your hearts live! The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people." -- Psalm 69:32-33

36. "Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord , do not delay." -- Psalm 70:5

37. "He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor." -- Psalm 72:4

38. "For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death." -- Psalm 72:12-13

39. "Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name." -- Psalm 74:21

40. "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." -- Psalm 82:3-4

41. "But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks." -- Psalm 107:41

42. "For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him." -- Psalm 109:31

43. "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor." -- Psalm 112:9

44. "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;" -- Psalm 113:7

45. "I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food." -- Psalm 132:15

46. "I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." -- Psalm 140:12

47. "He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free" -- Psalm 146:7

48. "The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked." -- Psalm 146:9

49. "I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." -- Proverbs 13:23

50. "He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy." -- Proverbs 14:21

51. "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." -- Proverbs 14:31

52. "The Lord tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact." -- Proverbs 15:25

53. "Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." -- Proverbs 16:19

54. "He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished." -- Proverbs 17:5

55. "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done." -- Proverbs 19:17

56. "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." -- Proverbs 21:13

57. "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." -- Proverbs 22:9

58. "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty." -- Proverbs 22:16

59. "Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court." -- Proverbs 22:22

60. "A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops." -- Proverbs 28:3

61. "He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." -- Proverbs 28:27

62. "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." -- Proverbs 29:7

63. "those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind." -- Proverbs 30:14

64. "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." -- Proverbs 31:9

65. "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." -- Proverbs 31:20

66. "If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still." -- Ecclesiastes 5:8

67. "Learn to do right! Seek justice; encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." -- Isaiah 1:17

68. "The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?' declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty." -- Isaiah 3:14-15

69. "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." -- Isaiah 10:1-2

70. "With righteousness he will judge the needy; with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked." -- Isaiah 11:4

71. "The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors." -- Isaiah 14:30

72. "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall." -- Isaiah 25:4

73. "Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord ; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." -- Isaiah 29:19

74. "The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just." -- -- Isaiah 32:7

75. "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them." -- Isaiah 41:17

76. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" -- Isaiah 58:6-7

77. "If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." -- Isaiah 58:10

78. "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." -- Isaiah 61:1

79. "On your clothes men find the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this you say I am innocent.'" -- Jeremiah 2:34

80. "I thought, These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.'" -- Jeremiah 5:4

81. "(They) have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor." -- Jeremiah 5:28

82. "Do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place." -- Jeremiah 7:6

83. "This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." -- Jeremiah 22:3

84. "'He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the Lord." -- Jeremiah 22:16

85. "Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked." -- Jeremiah 20:13

86. "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." -- Ezekiel 16:49

87. "He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked." -- Ezekiel 18:7

88. "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice." -- Ezekiel 22:29

89. "This is what the Lord says: For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.'" -- Amos 2:6-7

90. "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, Bring us some drinks!'" -- Amos 4:1

91. "Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land." -- Amos 8:4

92. "Buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat." -- Amos 8:6

93. "Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other." --Zechariah 7:10

94. " So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,' says the LordAlmighty." -- Malachi 3:5

New Testament Verses About Caring for the Poor

1. "Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" -- Matthew 19:21

2. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." -- Matthew 25:35

3. "They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." -- Mark 12:40

4. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." -- Luke 4:18

5. "So [Jesus] replied to the messengers, Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" == Luke 7:22

6. Jesus' Good Samaritan parable -- Luke 10:25-37

7. "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." -- Luke 12:33

8. "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." -- Luke 14:13

9. "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" -- Luke 18:22

10. "Beware of the teachers of the law . . . They devour your widows' houses . . . Such men will be punished severely." -- Luke 20:46-47

11. "'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." -- John 12:5

12. Sharing in the Early Church -- Acts 2:42-45; 4:32-35

13. "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor." -- Acts 9:36

14. "Cornelius stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord?' he asked. The angel answered, Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.'" -- Acts 10:4

15. "After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings." -- Acts 24:17

16. "On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'" -- Romans 12:20

17. "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." -- Romans 15:26

18. "Our desire is . . . that there might be equality. . . . The goal is equality, as it is written: 'The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.'" -- 2 Corinthians 8:12-15

19. "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." -- Galatians 2:10

20. "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need." -- 1 Timothy 5:3

21. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -- James 1:27

22. "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" -- James 2:15-16

23. "Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" James 2:2-6

24. "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." -- 1 John 3:17-18

Dear God…It’s Me, Margaret

Dear God, 

It’s me, Margaret. My heart is so heavy this morning. It has been heavy for several weeks now. It is heavy with fear and anxiety. I know that You already know this because You know me intimately.  You also know that I have friends who are so afraid right now.  They are afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go to work, afraid of sending their children to school, afraid to go to church.  And I am afraid for them. 

Lord, the world feels especially evil right now and painfully familiar as ghosts of past cruelties towards the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and the least of us are re-awakening, stepping into the daylight, and becoming emboldened.

I have brought this fear and anxiety to You in prayer many times, and it was during one of our conversations that You whispered to me, “Pray without ceasing.”  A few days later, You reminded me that I am called to pray for those who mistreat me. You have continued to remind me of this through daily Bible verses, snippets of sermons I’ve seen online, and in conversations with others. I know these gentle nudgings aren’t coincidences.  I know You are speaking to me…and Your servant is listening.

While I have been trying my best to mumble my way through broken and half-spoken prayers for those in charge of our country, my prayers feel so insufficient…so lacking...so small.  I can barely complete a prayer without my phone alerting me to a new crisis...a new attack on the least of Yours. To stay focused during the chaos, I strongly need to write out a prayer for me to pray - one based on Your word.  Please guide my thoughts and heart to find the right words of love and compassion as I pray for those mistreating my friends and family, and my neighbors that You call me to love.

Lord, I feel Your gentle yet persistent tug to pray for those in leadership positions. For those people who are causing such fear, concern, and confusion in so many people here in America and around the world.  It is so easy to allow the fear in and let it lead to hate, but I know that if I genuinely want to be Christ-like, I have to pray for them from my heart.  I have to reject hate and choose love.  

Loving God, I seek mercy for those in positions of authority so they may, in turn, show mercy to others. (Matthew 5:7) I ask that you forgive their sins against You and those You hold dear to Your heart. (1 John 1:9) Please soften their hearts and open their ears that they may gladly and honestly seek to hear Your voice. (Ezekiel 36:26) Please heal their souls and spirits so they may turn to You and ask for Your perfect Wisdom to guide their decisions.  (Psalm 147:3) 

Lord, I speak their names to you…Donald Trump, JD Vance, Elon Musk and those whose names I do not know, but You do. Those who are working alongside these men and women…both elected and selected.  I also pray for those who feel emboldened by these men and women. I ask that Your Holy Spirit move within them all, show them how to be loving, compassionate, empathetic, kind, just, honest, trustworthy, and merciful towards all Your people…regardless of who and how they love, who they worship, if they worship, where they were born, the color of their skin, their gender identity, and all those who seek refuge.  Please show them how to love their neighbor as they love themselves. (Mark 12:30-31) 

Lord, I also ask for forgiveness for myself.  I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I have allowed myself to get caught up in the daily barrage of vitriol and anger.  I have made rash and hurtful decisions. I ask that the Holy Spirit move in me in the same manner in which I am praying for them. 

Thank you, Lord, for being trustworthy, forgiving, faithful, loving, kind, generous, and just. Thank you for showing compassion and patience towards us as we strive to follow Your ways.  

In Jesus’ name, I pray, 

Amen

Love, 

Margaret

I am a baby.

I’m 61 years old, but I am a baby. I am a baby in my study of God’s word. I am a baby in my journey with God. I have considered myself to be a Christian for most of my adult life and, by default, most of my childhood…not counting a time of extreme and prolonged anger towards God following my parents’ divorce when I was fifteen. Yet, even during this time of anger and proclaiming that I didn’t believe there was a God because of my pain, I knew deep down that God was there and loved me unconditionally…He loved me enough to let me be so angry with Him.  Just like a parent will always love her child even in the midst of the child’s temper tantrum.  

I was and am that baby.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I have never read the Bible…never studied the Bible…never delved into His word in order to get to know Him.  I have looked up specific verses to support my opinion on a particular topic or to find comfort in troubled times, but I have never turned to the Bible to simply learn about God’s character…to get to know Him.  

I am a baby. 

Recently, I went to lunch with a young woman that I had gotten to know while we were volunteering at the Street Store.  We had tried to meet for lunch several times over the past couple of years, but the timing was never quite right.  Finally, our schedules matched up and we were able to meet up.  I knew this woman had a deep faith in God, but I had no idea how much her faith and joy in God would wash over onto me.  I felt such a strong nudging in my spirit and soul to truly seek out a better understanding of who God is and to commit to a relationship with Him.  

I am a baby. 

I started researching bible study books and bible apps in order to follow this nudging.  Those closest to me know that when I’m  interested in something…mostly art style related…I become consumed by it.  I love researching and learning…so much so that I will often burn myself out on the given topic.  So…I sought out a close friend and cousin I knew to have a strong faith in God to do the Bible study with…someone to hold me accountable to sticking to the study.  She, in turn, reached out to a good friend of hers to join us. So now I’m in three different Bible studies with them collectively and individually with these three women.  I am learning so much…I’m inspired…I’m energized.  

I am a baby.

These three women have been such a strong influence on me and so supportive of my baby steps.  I look up to them.  I’m learning from them.  They each pray with such confidence and eloquence.  They live their lives with such conviction and integrity.  They invite and allow God’s light to radiate through them with humility and grace. I look at each of them and say to myself, “I want what they have. I want that kind of relationship with God. I want to radiate God’s love. I want to learn how to hear and trust the voice of God in my own life”. As I take these baby steps, they remind me that God’s timing is perfect. That God is a God of love…that He is faithful…that He knows me intimately… and still loves me.  They remind me that I am a child of God.  They remind that it’s okay to be vulnerable. 

I am a baby and I am so inspired, moved, challenged and motivated to be just like these women…my “big sisters”. I am so grateful that God has put them in my life.  

Dark Places...

My inner critic is constant and extremely tenacious and when her voice is joined with the voices of actual critics, the noise is overpowering and concerning. Recently, these combined voices have taken me to a very dark place.  It is a dismal place where I am plagued with questions of self-worth and purpose, such as "Why am I here?" and “What is my purpose?”     A hopeless place where I have called into question what I have always believed I was called to do.  Painful questions… "If I'm not allowed to do what I love, what will come of me?" or “Have I been fooling myself this whole time?”  Given my family history with depression, this place and these feelings frighten me to my core. 

There are two passages from the bible that I have turned to in the past for comfort and strength. One promises that God's plan for me is one of hope and not disaster. The other promises that God can shed light into the darkness. Both of them have seen me through some extremely dark times.  Interestingly, I have stumbled across another that seems to be calling to me – “live by the sword, die by the sword”. When I shared this with a friend who was asking how I was feeling, she looked at me strangely.  These are compelling words that seem completely inappropriate for the situation, but to me they call forth a promise of karmic balance. To me, the sword can be symbolic of the attitude with which we approach life…you reap what you sow…you get back what you give…what goes around, comes around.  I feel challenged to explore and examine my "sword".  What have I been sowing?  What have I put forth into the universe…positivity or negativity?  I know what I hope I’ve been sowing, but, perhaps, I am misleading myself.  These are humbling questions to ask and explore, but the answers just may be what is needed to light this darkness.  Maybe the lesson to learn is that I can’t change others, I can only change myself.  

Walls

I sit at my table and wage war on myself
It seems like it's all, it's all for nothing
I know the barricades, and
I know the mortar in the wall breaks
I recognize the weapons, I used them well

 

~World Leader Pretend

R.E.M.

 

 

Mornings...

Carefully, I measure the sugar and creamer into my coffee. Gently, yet deliberately, I stir. As I watch myself, the hand and actions look vaguely familiar. This hand is younger; the movements, not as skillful. It is then that I realize that I am slowly and easily becoming more like my Mama. This makes me smile.

The Gift

I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.  ~Dr. Haim Ginott

I have been teaching now for twenty-one years…twenty-one long, challenging and extremely rewarding years.  During this time, I have seen many changes in education - on  local, state, and  national levels.  I have taught through a number of administrative changes – from principals, superintendents, governors and presidents.  They all seem to come and go, but here I remain…same little town, same little school. My journey is with these students…these siblings and, now, children of former students.

After so many years, I have come to know their stories - their struggles, their triumphs, their challenges, and their celebrations.  I have seen their tears and heard their laughter.  I have felt both their anger and their hugs.  Even the children and families I am meeting for the very first time…their stories are familiar.

All teachers know these stories because that’s what we do…we listen, we watch, we wait, we nudge, …we are present.

Over the past twenty-one years, I have had children who were homeless, hungry, abandoned, ignored, angry, violated, and medically fragile.  I have conferenced with parents who were discouraged, addicted, overwhelmed, suicidal, and illiterate.  Despite all these barriers, my job remains to educate these children –to motivate, encourage, support, inspire, and nurture them. But, like Chicago teacher, Allie Griffin…

"I teach…. because I leave my job every day knowing that I gave a lot, but was given [so much] more".

I Think She Deserved Better...

Noneal Davenport

My mama died of metastatic breast cancer two years and seven months ago.  She was a wonderful, gentle, kind and talented woman who worked hard raising four children and three step-children.  She also worked as a graphic artist for her own business and, later, as a substitute teacher for special ed classes.

 However, for 20+ years, she did not have health insurance, until she reached age 65, due to several serious pre-existing health conditions.  She did not go to the ER for sore throats and ear infections.  She worked hard to pay her bills to specialists, hospitals, and surgeons.  There were a number of times that her concerns and symptoms were overlooked by doctors because the tests she needed were too costly for someone without insurance.  As a result, I believe that the health care she was able to pay for out of pocket was inferior and sub-standard. 

I wish that she had been able to get the health coverage she deserved - regardless of her pre-existing conditions.  I wish that her many mammograms had been covered 100%.  I wish that she was alive today. 

If I take to heart some of the articles, posts and comments I’ve read in the past 24 hours, these wishes make me a “moron”, a “socialist”, a “bleeding heart”, an “imbecile”, and “brain – washed”.  And, apparently, my mama’s lack of health coverage made her a lazy, mooching, good-for-nothing low-life who got what she deserved…death.

 Luckily, I don’t believe everything I read, but… it still cuts me to the quick. 

Soothe the Savage Soul...

Sit back and enjoy some good music!

Now I Become Myself :: The search for vocation, by Parker Palmer

Now I Become Myself :: The search for vocation, by Parker Palmer