"Remember the Poor"

Jesus said that we'll always have the poor with us.  Sometimes, especially during the abundance of harvest/canning season in rural America, the poor can be pretty far from our minds.  John and I have chosen, then, to occasionally remember the poor on purpose.

Here are some ways we found to remember the poor:

1. We make a meal from a country that has poor folk.  The first that came to mind was India.  According to Operation World, 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.  (Below the poverty line in India means the head of home earns less than $1.25 per day, according to Wikipedia.)

For our "Remember the Poor" meal, I made curry and rice. Especially after reading stories of the truly poor, I realized that my simple curry was a rich man's meal (the truly poor don't split a pound of meat between only four people).  But for us, curry reminds us of India, and in this case, the poor in India.  Tyler likes to eat with his fingers when we have a meal like this, which, for him, is a great way to  keep the poor in mind.  ("Some boys have no spoons!").

2. We pray for the poor.  Tyler prayed the blessing on the meal and was encouraged to pray for the poor children as well :  "Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for our food.  And please can You give food to the little boys and girls who have hungry bellies?  In Jesus' Name, Amen."  When supper was nearly finished, he said, "Did Jesus give the poor children food?  I prayed that He would."  Oh for the faith of a child!

3. We read stories about poverty-stricken people.  I looked up stories of the poor in India and stumbled across a blog (check it out: Stories on Poverty in India) that has heart-wrenching stories of people who not only live in extreme poverty, but have no hope in Christ to redeem the sadness of their lives.  No redemptive future to assuage the pain of this life?  My stomach knotted up.

4. We look at their pictures and read facts surrounding them.  We found a slideshow on poverty (several, in fact, including this one).  The facts are staggering (i.e.  According to Unicef, 22,000 children die every day from poverty).  After seeing pictures of children with their entire rib-cage obvious, our son was full of questions.  The knot in my stomach tightened.

5. We read stories to our children and discuss the poor with them.  Another great tool to discuss the poor with young children is a little book printed by Christian Aid Ministries called Red, Yellow, Black & White by Dwayne & Lois Stoltzfus.  Tyler nearly knows it by heart now, but will bring it around to discuss the poor again, to ask questions about the children with no mommy and daddy, and to talk about children with no food.  It offers the opportunity not only to tell him about the poor but to instill the truth that no matter what happens, God will be there with you.

6. We give to the poor.  These 'Remember the Poor' meals are also the perfect time to give financially to the poor.  Ever feel inclined to go out to eat?  Make a simple rice meal at home instead, pray for the poor, and donate the money saved.

"I was an hungred, and you gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink... naked, and ye clothed me."  Matthew 25:35,36