Pre-conference Devotional March 18th
Devotional
God’s heart is for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger.
In my first semester at Asbury Seminary I had the opportunity to take a class on Christian Hospitality by the late Dr. Christine Pohl. I grew up in a home that welcomed friends and family. My parents have always been generous hosts and love people really well. When I thought of hospitality I thought of my home growing up. While I had felt God calling me to adopt from age ten, I did not understand the plight of refugees, immigrants and widows. In my upper middle class high school I only had two friends of color in my whole school. Almost everyone I knew looked like me and had the same opportunities that I had. I was shocked by things that I learned through this hospitality class and God used it to prepare my heart for the steps I would take after seminary.
My husband Nathan and I married just after we graduated from Asbury. We were led by God back to Nathan’s hometown of Memphis and we moved into an inner city community, Binghamton. During the 23 years we have lived in Binghampton God has grown our hearts for the marginalized. We have had a deep sense of community, connection and family with our neighbors. We have felt the pleasure of God as we have cared for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger. We have also felt the love of God when they have cared for us.
During different administrations the government has taken various positions on caring for the marginalized. There is no question that when the government has adopted policies that help in addressing poverty it has been helpful, however the call of the church has always been to care for marginalized people. The Old Testament is full of passages charging the Israelites to care for these people that are so close to His heart.
I know many of our clinic leaders are anxious about funding in this season. The funding cuts that are being made in different areas of our government are creating anxiety in the lives of so many people. Regardless of these things, the call for us as followers of Jesus is to care for the poor. As we prayerfully follow the Lord’s instructions to us He has the ability to multiply and provide in ways we don’t often see if we are not willing to follow Him wholeheartedly. I am praying for this for our clinics. Be faithful with what He has given. Seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly (Micah 6:8.)
Sometime around 2012 Dr. Pohl was a speaker at one of our CCHF conferences in Nashville. During that time Nathan and I got to take her to dinner and share the ways her teaching had impacted our lives and our city. Because of what she taught us we have countless refugee friends, were able to help World Relief open an office in Memphis, we adopted two of our three children, have been invited into a widow’s family and have been cared for and protected by our neighbors. As we seek to live out God’s call for the church I pray that the Lord will use each one of us to grow His kingdom.
