Why They Cannot Hear Us – I Needed Clothes

Greetings Dear Reader,

Let us begin with a little mental math.  Take a moment to count how many coats you own.  Include light jackets, heavy coats, and anything that provides outer warmth in cold weather.  The total for me is 3 heavy coats, 4 jackets, and 3 hoodies.  Granted some of them are for different occasions.  The problem again is how do I justify my plenty in light of someones need?

Winter is coming where I live.  I already see some of my students sporting new winter wear.  What if Christ followers were to regularly forego an new clothing item in favor of providing for those social organizations that help those in need?  I am not saying that it is wrong to own more than one coat or to have new clothing.  There is, however, a disconnect when I have clothing I do not wear and there are those who need clothing just to keep warm, go to work, or feel respectable.

This is the image I will leave you with.  I was six years old and riding with my Grandfather in his Dodge Dart.  It is December and raining.  The temperature hovers around thirty eight degrees.  We are headed downtown to pick up my Grandmother at a store.  Just a few blocks from the place to get my Grandmother my Grandfather abruptly pulls over to the curb.

Standing in the cold rain is woman waiting for the bus.  She has neither umbrella nor coat.  He removes his coat and quickly puts it on the woman’s shoulders, moves back to the car, and drives away.  He does not need for me to ask what he is doing.  He sees the astonishment on my face. 

He smiles and says, “That is the third time I have seen her standing in the rain without a coat.  I just could not bear it any longer.”  Over a three year period I would see him give his coat away at least seven times.  Imagine the impact if all Christ followers had this heart.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."