Let’s Dance: Leading My Actions – Thursday
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (NIV)
When my kids were younger, I had this great idea to reinforce James 1:26 to them. We would start a business called, “Widow’s Lawn Care”. The idea was for the kids to go around to all of the widows on our block and offer to mow their lawn, for free! My children were not as thrilled as I was and my wife was skeptical, but we tried it anyway. As they walked the neighborhood, they were met with one of three responses. One was, “I don’t think so.” because they actually liked their lawns. Two were, “No” because they already had someone to mow their lawn. And three was, “I’ll let you mow it, but you have to let me pay you.” My kids loved this option, but this defeated the purpose of teaching them to take care of widows. I let them do it and everyone was happy, except me. Oh Well!
Why does God expect us to take care of widows and orphans? Because they are the most vulnerable among us, with no one to take care of them. I know the widows on my street are pretty self-sufficient but in general, it's harder when losing a spouse or a parent, to keep up with the day-to-day. This is the very definition of love, help those in need. John 13:34,35 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
In October of 2023, I lost my wife of 28 years to breast cancer. I became, at that point, a widower. In the days and weeks following, who do you think came to help me? The widows on my street. They brought me food, cakes, cards, and money. Was it because I did such a great job loving them? Mowing their lawns? No. It was because my wife did. She made it a point to make them feel loved and not so alone. She would take them balloons on Valentine’s Day, and she would always stop to talk, and sit on the porch with them. It was because of my wife’s love for them that they now take the time to love me. And I am grateful.
Thursday’s Reflection
Is there anyone in your life who is vulnerable? A widow or orphan? Anyone else? Take some time this week to consider how you could help. Take them some food, or cash, or just sit on the porch with them, letting them know they are not alone.