A Blanket or a Hug...

Last week, as I was remembering back to my early child-bearing years, living in an inner city, low rent housing project. The thought came to me, "What did I need more than anything during that barren time?"

We needed everything that made for convenience, comfort and even the barest necessities to live a decent life. We were poverty stricken. But, there was one thing that would have been more appreciated and valuable to me than any physical provision.

Consider with me what is the most needed thing in every human being's life. Without a doubt the poor need money, they need a blanket to keep them warm, they need food. But, just giving them food will never meet the greater need.

The food will run out, the blanket will wear out, the money will be spent out.
And, then, a handout is needed all over again.The same one that gives the money, the blanket or the food, without giving the everlasting thing, will be no more than a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal.

To give a pat on the shoulder from a compassionate and truly caring heart will warm their soul for years to come.

To give a tender affectionate hug will feed their hunger for love and self-worth long after the money thins out. God loves a cheerful giver and so does the poor man. The coat, the blanket or the sweater given without a tender smile, a twinkle in the eye, will never speak of Jesus' love for them. To warm and feed their flesh without warming their heart with genuine concern for their souls is to miss eternity.

Saying, "You're going to make it." without compassionate caring will go in one ear and out the other. But to say, "How can I help you make it?" will stand them upright.

There is no wonder why Paul wrote the elements of true love to the Corinthians.

They did every thing up right, they were not amiss in any of the gifts. Paul went as far as to say, "If you thought you could give me your eyes, you would do it..."
I have found some church leaders who think that to meet the physical needs, to have the finest of everything for their church building. Including the greatest choir and organization is enough.

But I tell you as one who lived in dire poverty and shame, I needed someone to wrap their arms around me and just stay that way until I could cry out that reservoir of depair, shame and feeling of absolute aloneness. I was the mother with five children, no Mama, no Daddy, no church, no one in the world to care. I have lived without genuine love from "Christians" that thought that helping with the basic physical needs was all that was necessary.

A word of encouragment, a hug from the heart, caring eyes that teared up and said louder than words, "I truly care." would have stayed with me eternally. Because of Jesus I don't live in that deplorable, destitute situation any longer.

However, recently I was the speaker at a certain function and everything had been prepared in the most excellent way. They had left no stone unturned, so to speak. There was only that one, most important thing missing; LOVE! Oh, I am sure they would have said it was because of love that they had done so much but when true love is present, you can feel it. You can see it in their smile, hear it in their caring words, see it in their eyes, feel it when they reach out and touch you with a hug, a pat on the back. Maybe someone will just come up from behind and start scratching your back. Then....you know they really do care about you!
I still need bunches and gobs of that wonderful stuff! In fact, the next time I see you, you're going to get a great big hug. When I see Jesus, I plan on kissing him the first thing.


Loving you,


Benji