Juxtaposition

I met a lady today, a new customer, named Mary. She is a 60 year old black woman who, I learned, lives on her $760 a month Social Security disability check. The address on her identification, she pointed out, is actually her daughters address, where she sometimes stays, at the risk of her daughter getting evicted. Most of the time she has been sleeping in her car. She observed that it has, at times, been cold, but not too bad-she has a quilt that was her mothers. They all shared an apartment some months ago-she and her daughter and grand children-but when a large slab of the ceiling plaster fell on her sleeping granddaughter they withheld rent in an effort to force the landlord to make long-sought repairs. He had them evicted, prevailed at a hearing, filed a delinquency report with the credit bureau, so she needs a large security deposit to rent again. With this month's check, she finally has accumulated enough cash to get a place of her own, and this very night she will, as she very proudly reported, sleep in her own bed! The apartment is at an address that most of us would take a wide detour not to drive past-and wouldn't consider walking past. She hasn't been employed for some years, but worked in a sewing factory for 14 years. Eventually, the pain associated with a bullet lodged near her spine since her youth rendered her unable to do, as she said, factory work. She does, however, as a volunteer, go to the homes of elderly or partially disabled folks to help them bathe, or do housework, or just sit and visit for an hour or so. She talked a bit about the Baptist Church she attends here in York. Each year, the church gives their elderly or in-need members a check at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. She, and her 68 year old brother both gave the checks back! Why? Because she is so blessed! Her God, her Jesus, provides for her, and others need it more than her! Her Mama taught all her children to love the Lord, to treat people as you would wish to be treated, and that the reward for doing so would be an eternity without cold nights and without pain from a bullet. She told me over and over how blessed she was, had no worries, and trusted completely in her Lord.

Last evening I, and some friends, talked with a recent acquaintance, I'll call him Bill, about the trials he was experiencing in his life. He, as I understand it, has, until very recently, enjoyed great financial and material abundance. He and his wife live in their "dream house". His business has taken a turn that has led to a precipitous drop in their finances. He is facing imminent eviction from their dream house, and will be moving soon into a mobile home. He is driving some old vehicle, as he said, his daughter won't even ride in. While he is, to some extent, coming to terms with this new season of his life, his wife less so-and he has no confidence that his marriage will survive this upheaval. As we gently probed to what extent he is seeking God's help, and guidance, and clarity, he admitted to being angry with God. "Why are you doing this to me?" It's easy, of course, as mere onlookers, to point out God's purposes are perfect-that perhaps this is a painful pruning of an unhealthy attachment to houses, and cars, and stuff. Perhaps the purpose is to renew-or ignite-a sense of faith and dependence. Perhaps it is to take their marriage to a place of fulfillment without material abundance. Perhaps none of that! Only God knows what will unfold. But what, thanks to Mary, I do know is this-a spirit of thankfulness, and praise, and love of the Lord, and confidence in a reward to come is a choice-a matter of perspective! If any one of us were to compare Mary's life today, and "Bill's," even in it's new downsized version, we would all choose his as the one with the blessings, and comfort. And that is exactly why we get angry with God when He doesn't provide in the way we think He should. None of us want to be Mary. But, oh what a better world this would be if we were all like Mary.

jls