A child who walks barefoot because his family cannot afford to buy him slippers—I see stories like that on TV all time. But It really gives you a different feeling when you see it right before your eyes.

 

 

After breakfast on Monday, we heard a knock on the door. Quite unusual because it was still early and visitors don`t usually come early in the morning. My Mom got the door and said it was the child “who was working to earn money”. I could sense the compassion in her voice so I was curious to see the child. She invited him in and held the dogs as the child walked to our backyard. Mom said the kid is asking to collect the garbage for free. Perhaps to find something he could sell to a junkshop.

 

I was stunned when I saw him. He was neat and his clothes weren`t dirty at all. His hair was neatly trimmed and it seems like his mom is really taking care of him well. But he was so small for an 8-year old and  he had no shoes or slippers to cover his feet. He was walking our garden barefoot. And the grass had died last summer and he was really walking on earth! And of course, he walked on the streets barefoot to get to our house. He would even walk to the junk shop a kilometers away after that.

 

Viola and I looked at each other without saying a word.  I don`t live in a rich community but I`ve never seen a kid walk around here barefoot all my life. In the Philippines, you can get a decent pair of rubber slippers for $.75 or P30. But the kid! He can`t even afford a pair!  And our hearts melted right there.

 

And I thought about how far a little money could go. Sometimes, we think we don`t have much. We think we don`t have the capacity to help others. But in reality, what we`ve got  is enough to cover a child`s bare foot. We think a dollar or our P40 wouldn`t go anywhere but that is enough to keep an 8-year old kid from working for a day.

 

And I think of all the money I`ve spent for things I like but which I really don`t need at all. I sometimes splurge on non-necessities while people around me don`t even have enough for their meals or even just to walk with shoes on.

 

Defining Generosity

Dad said on breakfast today that being generous isn`t giving out of abundance, when you`ve got more than enough; but giving out of what you have right now…with what you can give today.

 

In my heart, I`m really dreaming of “saving” that kid. I even wished to get rich so I could send him to school and help his family. But Dad is right. I don`t need to wait to have more than enough for myself to help.

 

We can help with what we have right now.

 

 

God is Going to Use You

 

Viola was saying, also this morning, that God wants His children to have everything they need. It`s true, isn`t it? And I thought that if I`m feeling this way for the kid, of course,the God who created him would be even more concerned.  But God couldn`t let money rain on their backyard. He would use people to bless the child and his family. And that would be possible if the person God speaks with would obey. If I would obey. If you would obey.

 

That little kid is not the only one in the world. There are many children, many elderly, many sick, homeless people around you.  And they too need help.

 

We are God`s hands and feet in this broken world. And God intends to bless the nations and the people through us. But that would happen if we would open our eyes and our hearts and respond as He speaks to us.

 

I hope you would listen to Him as He speaks to you.

 

I hope we would all do. 

 

 

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. Psalms 41: 1-3

 

Photo Credit: –fallingstars  and  jajaalovestumblr on Tumblr,

Adwriter and Yanyin on Flickr, 

and redrubble.com