Psalm 31:15-24
Isaiah 2:5-7
Revelation 7:13-17
John 12:23-32
After several months of resisting God’s call, I finally stepped forward and found myself volunteering at my church’s soup kitchen.  I was uncomfortable at the thought of being around those who were so different from me, but thought perhaps I could be of service to those so much in need. After that first day listening to their prayers of thanksgiving for what little they possessed, I was humbled by all my abundance.
Over the years, praying and talking with those who came to us for basic necessities, I learned their stories: the Viet Nam vet who continued to suffer from PTSD, the schizophrenic whom we referred for medical treatment, the young brothers who’d left college to work and pay their mother’s medical bills, the businessman who lost all when he succumbed to the power of drug addiction and who was learning a life of sobriety, the members of the LGBT community who felt ostracized from society, the young family who moved to find better opportunities, and countless others. I watched as they struggled to build new lives and find God’s love in their limited circumstances. In a world where we too often worship money and power, the least of those among us indeed taught me that God loves us all equally as His children without judging our circumstances.
During this Lenten season, let us remember we are all children of God and reach out to those who need to see God’s light and love reflected through us.

– Susan Welch