What have you done for me lately?
It's a very human question.
We often ask it of our employers. We ask it of our family... of our friends... our government...
But what if we turned it around? What have I done for you lately? What if... What if rather than asking my family, friends, neighbors, community of faith what they have done for me, what if I ask myself what have I done for them?
I've been to a few tea party type events... I've heard all too many people talk about cutting taxes and lowering spending, but where is the plan?
There are legitimate people in need who depend on the government to sustain them. If we don't believe in 'death panels', then we need to make sure we have a structure in place to catch those people before we pull the government safety net out from under them.
As this entry began to unfold earlier today, those in need were heavy on my heart. What have I done for 'them' lately? When is the last time I brought a meal to a widow in need? When is the last time I volunteered my time not for campaign canvassing, but at a soup kitchen? What have I done for them?
Those on the right talk about the president... and with feigned indignation, they make statements like, "He was supposed to be the post-racial president" ... or "This is the 'Great Uniter' at work" as they point out what they perceive as the many flaws of Mr. Obama, but what have we done for the faceless 'them'?
We want 'them' to accept us, but so many of us still speak in terms of 'us' and 'them'... If you are honest, you have to admit that in your city, there are probably certain neighborhoods you don't even like to drive through. You refuse to slow down or stop there, but the people who live there are real people. There are widows and orphans who legitimately need help. They need someone to mow their lawn, fix their plumbing, share a meal with them and help them with their homework. Some of those children there need a safe place to sleep at night or maybe just someone to stay with them while their single parent is at work. Real people. Good people. They love God, and they love their country. They probably believe in many of the same things you do... but they've never met you. You don't run in the same circles. Where do we have any 'right' to expect them to change anything in their behavior if you and I aren't willing to do so? Are we really just concerned about increasing the money in our own pocket so we can have more 'stuff'... OR ... Would we like to use more of our money to make their lives better, and because it won't take as much without the government bureaucracy, then after we have filled that void the missing government programs will create... then we can use our money to get more stuff, BUT we have to take care of them first.
Here's what I plan to do. It Starts With Me! I'm going to pull out the old fashioned phone book. Then I'm going to look up a church in one of those neighborhoods that some of you would drive 15 miles out of your way to avoid, and I'm going to ask them about the needs within their church. I'm going to connect with one of those widows, orphans, or single moms... maybe a single grandparent raising their grandchildren. I'm not going to tell this person in need that things will be OK if we change the government. I'm going to show them that they don't need the government because I'll be there to help them.
Can everyone adopt a widow or orphan? Probably not... but can two families go in together? ABSOLUTELY!
People taking their own time and resources to reach out to those around them in need. THAT is Hope and Change I can believe in!!!
