Every day people wander into our Pine Knot ministry center
searching for something. Most of the
time it’s clothing, or shoes, or some household item, like towels and sheets,
which they find themselves desirous of.
But along with that need comes the intangible, yet equally vital desire
to relate to someone, especially in moments of distress. The vast majority of folks that we minister
to are facing significant issues, either personally or within their
families. Domestic abuse, drug
addiction, diminished mental health and physical maladies are ever-present. The stress of living a life of seeming perpetual
need, and perceiving no ongoing solution to this dilemma, is many times
overwhelming. At the end of a day, I
often return to my home most weary, worn down by the flow of negativity that
seems to accompany most impoverished lives.
A few concerned friends have asked, “How do you cope with such difficult
daily experiences?” My answer is
simple. I look for the “bright moments”!
Last week was very typical, at least as far as ministry
encounters go. We began our day on
Monday helping a family who, only a few short hours before, had lost every worldly
possession to a house fire. As we
provided clothing and other items to the needful folks, my mind traveled back
many years to the time when I had first helped this same family with a most
significant need. I was saddened that,
even though we had brought a GREAT amount of relief to them back then, their
lives were once again consumed by the influences of poverty. The next day an elderly woman, who was
attempting to function through her mental illness, stood before me wide-eyed,
unable to grasp the simple concept that I had just shared with her. As the day wore on similar experiences began
to surface, piling one upon the other until I once again felt a “funk” setting
in on my spirit.
But then, I walked to the front desk to chat with two ladies
who were bagging up the clothing they had just received. I commented to the shorter gal about her
waist-length hair. The taller woman,
probably in her early thirties, smiled shyly and commented that she had also
had such long hair, at least until a few days ago. Sporting a shortly cropped, yet nicely cut
hairstyle, she shared that she was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form
of cancer. Anticipating what frequent
rounds of chemo and radiation would no doubt do to her hair, she chose to “harvest”
her long dark locks and donate them to another cancer victim to have made into
a wig. She could have kept the
twenty-four inches of healthy hair for herself, but she chose to bless someone
else who was further along in their shared journey. I felt a sudden surge of hope through the
darkness of the medical prognosis.
No more than thirty minutes later I once again had a couple
standing in front of me; this time a man and his wife, both once again in their
early thirties. The gal had picked out a
colorful headscarf and was already wrapping it around her recently shaved
head. Complimenting her on her choice, I
carefully commented on her hair. As
anticipated, the young woman shared an all-too-common story of the effects of
the treatment she was receiving for the cancer in her body. I turned to her companion and commended him
for being here with his lady rather than sitting in the car and smoking, like
many guys do. The guy blushed a little
and removed his own stocking cap, a freshly shaved head softly glowing under
the overhead lights. “We’re in this
together!” was all that he said.
Such are those “bright moments” that carry us through the
difficulties of each day. It has been
nearly fourteen years since Rita and I arrived to live in what has now become
known as “the poorest county in the entire nation”. Yes, many times the seeming result of our
work is similar to the fire victim I previously mentioned. We had built them a wonderful home, but poor
decisions on their part had left them homeless once again. They made choices that wound up having
serious consequences. But rather than
dwelling on those moments when our work seemed to be a “boondoggle” (as I was
once told), we continue to look for those times when the Brightness of God’s
Love shines through the darkness. They’re
always there... if we just pause and look for the lovely things. Every day I remind our volunteer ministry
staff to deal with the negative, but ponder the positive. “...whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.”
(Philippians 4:8)
