Lent day 28 -- can you help?

greetings!

i am amazed at the needs of the people i visit in the inner city...

real needs...

desperate needs...

basic physical needs...

very basic...

food...

clothing...

shelter...

these people are terminally ill -- they are dying...

and they have so little...

many times, not even the basics...

they are dying in dire physical need...

sometimes it is overwhelming...

so this year, in our planned giving, we budgeted $50 per week for immediate compassion...

see a need -- meet a need...

seizing every possible moment for blessing in jesus' name...

today was an overwhelming day of need after need after need...

i burned my whole $50 allowance for the week -- TODAY...

not sure what i will do for mr williams on friday...

well, i do know -- i can use my lunch money for the rest of the week...

it started with mr harris...

a 43 year old dying of cirrhosis of the liver...

yes, he "earned" his illness...

but he has been clean and sober for almost six months now...

yea god!!!

but his liver is done...

he moved out of his house and his landlord won't let him have his clothes...

james [my son] is going to try to find him some jeans and shirts tomorrow...

i asked james to see what he could get for $20...

maybe at goodwill...

he wears a size 31 pants...

he wears a medium shirt...

do you happen to have any clothes this size you would like to give away???

no pressure -- just an opportunity...

then to ms richardson's...

she has no food in the house...

she asked for some water and yogurt to get through the week...

i had $30 tucked away in my wallet...

so, i gave it to her to buy some food for her and her daughter and grandbaby...

she also needs clothes...

does anyone have any...

large blouses???

size 8 dresses???

size 14 pants???

size 8.5 shoes???

no pressure -- just an opportunity...

mr berry was OK [except for the fact that he is dying of cancer]...

and he had just received a reduction in his food stamps...

but his family had made up the difference...

he had food to eat...

he was so grateful to them -- and to god...

he had an appointment with the food stamp folks to ask why he had been cut to $49 per month for food???

ms pantzis was OK...

just lonely...

really lonely...

and bored...

nothing to do and all alone...

and scared...

scared to die...

she was wondering what it would be like to be confined in the box???

at leaast she had food...

how???

her husband is still working as a paint and body tech at 83 years old...

yes, i did say 83!!!

her house almost made me yak...

she is confined to a chair...

she has 3 dogs in the house...

they had used the bathroom all over the floor...

my shoes literally stuck to the floor as i walked in...

the smell was almost too much...

i almost lost breakfast...

then to mr mcclaskey's...

he was so short of breath...

he could hardly breathe...

he was waiting on a visit from a LPH resource associate who was going to help him to apply for foodstamps...

i asked him if he had been eating...

no not really...

not eating well...

not eating very often...

we are out of food...

i am about out of money [since i can only be trusted with so much cash at the time --ha! ha!]...

i give him a $5 bill and five $1 dollar bills...

his whole face lit up...

he promised to pay me back...

i told him it was a gift from jesus -- no need to pay me back...

god would return it to me -- somehow...

he said he could feed the whole trailer cheeseburgers tonight...

it was so little, but he was so thrilled...

the room in his trailer in claire mel city was so dirty, i almost lost my lunch...

no wonder he can't breathe...

i closed my day at ms harris place...

my emotions were done...

i don't think i had much left to give...

i didn't feel all that great about what i gave to this family at the end of the day...

i felt empty...

she could not talk...

cancer of the larynx...

her voicebox had been removed...

i really don't know how much she was in need...

i was out of it by now...

my tank was on E...

please pray for me tonight...

i need a filling up...

and i need to win the lottery...

more to give away...

ha! ha!

thanks for listening...

please help with the clothing if you can...

BUT NO EXPECTATIONS...

the fork is in me -- i am done...

good night...

guy

there will be more grace available for tomorrow...

i am sure of it...

god's buffet of grace never runs out...

it is fresh every morning!!!