Helping with a Compassionate Heart

 “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.”

John 13:34-35

Once a year at the church where I work, we partner with CARITAS (Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter) to house the homeless for one week.  The church provides a place to sleep and two meals a day, plus laundry service, tutoring for the children, and any other way that we might be helpful to the families enrolled in the program.

Grace Notes tells the story of a woman who, with her husband, had accepted the assignment of sleeping overnight at the church in case one of the families had a need during the night.  About 3:00am in the morning, there was a knock at their door.  The husband went out for a while, then finally returned to his bed.  What was the problem?  One of their guests needed to start her laundry and wanted the door to the laundry room unlocked.  His wife was incensed.  Laundry at 3:00 a.m. in the morning?  How rude!  She didn't mince any words in telling her husband what she thought of the woman and her unkindness.  Such things as laundry certainly could have been done the next day.

In the morning, when the husband had a chance to chat with the woman from the night before, he discovered that one of her five little boys had wet the bed in the night.  She gave the child her own bed, and then, thoroughly embarrassed because they were using a bed and linens provided by the program, all she could think about was washing the sheets and blanket.  When the husband passed this tidbit of information on to his wife, she realized that she had reacted totally without compassion.  She had volunteered to sleep for one night on an air mattress at the church so that she would be available if any needs arose.  When one did, she reacted with anger and complaining.  She had passed judgment without knowing all the relevant facts.  She had, in fact, been more concerned about her need for sleep than about any of the people she had volunteered to shepherd.

In our neighborhoods and communities where there is so much heartache and need, it is important not only to raise your hand and say, "I can help," but to do so with a heart of compassion, humility, patience and love.