PLN 7: Helping the Less Fortunate

In the blog “Helping the Less Fortunate”, what matters is giving to others that can’t afford most things. In the Nata Village Blog, it says that the Department of Social and Community development and the Nata Orphan Trust helped more than 60 children by giving them a healthy breakfast and lunch, and also granting them with 400 pula (about $100) to buy brand new school clothes.
This really shows that there are people in the world that aren’t greedy and are willing to help those who don’t have very much money whether its because they live in a poorer community or if its because they don’t have a big paying job. There are people who recognize others living conditions, and have taken a step to help.
I know how much I love shopping for new school clothes, so I couldn’t imagine not getting a back to school outfit every year. Some kids in poorer villages are lucky to get a new outfit every couple of years, so I am sure that when they were given $100 to but new clothes, they were thrilled.
As we see homeless people living on the side of the street holding a piece of cardboard that says “Homeless, Out of Work, No Food, Anything Will Help, God Bless”, we usually just drive by them, and occasionally we will think about how lucky we are to have a car, and food, and shelter. We make the excuse of not giving them the 58 cents in our pocket because “they will probably go waste it on alchol or something”. I agree that there are people out there who have plenty of money and still stand out on the streets like a beggar, and there are people who waste every penny that people give them, but there are also people that really need that money to live on. Do we ever think about what it would be like to live without any of that, and to just have a jacket for warmth? What if we never knew when we were going to next eat because we depended on people to give us some loose change as they were driving by in there brand new Hybrid. We don’t realize how blessed we are. All of us have clothing, food, warmth, shelter, and clean water, plus all the technology we now have, such as computers, cell phones, television sets, and every other blessing in our house.
It was very pleasing to read about someone who has a heart willing to help others. These people recognize all that they have, and they have given graciously to others. They were not selfish or greedy, like so many others in the world. So next time you see someone who looks like they could use a helping hand, instead of just ignoring them, why wouldn’t we go over and help them. That’s what Jesus would do. It would make our world a better place to be.