We can not get enough food---for those who are in need

When I say that we can not get enough food, I do not mean us personally. Most of our waistlines attest that we get enough food. I am talking about food for our food pantry.

We put out a call last week to our members, alerting them that our food pantry was empty. On Sunday, we had bags and bags of food lined up outside the office doors. This shows the great hearts of our people, who respond generously when they know about needs.

This week--unbelievably, most of the food is all gone. We have had a flood of people coming in who need groceries. We give them food and pray for them. One man, Christopher, when I asked if we could pray for him, hugged me and starting crying uncontrollably. As Linda, our secretary, and I prayed for him, he continued to cry. He has seven children, and wants to provide for his family. He said that his grandfather was a Baptist minister, and that his grandfather said that if he needed help, the church would be there for him.

Christopher was also interested in work. Interestingly--coincidentally--providentially?--someone (we are not sure who) called in this week to the office, saying that they needed some fence work done. When Christopher said that he was interested in work, Linda told him about the fence work that needed to be done. He said, "I'm a fencer." So we are going to try to follow-up on this. Coincidence--or providence?

I plan on communicating to our members that the food pantry is a constant need, not a one time emergency low. With the downturn in the economy, our location, and what we are asking God to do--to use us serving the community--we are getting a tremendous number of people coming in. We spent almost half the morning today distributing food, talking with, and praying for those who came in. If we will each just buy a little extra when we get our groceries and bring in, we can continue to provide food for our community.

How do stories of people like Christopher affect you?