An Observation of Hope By Vanessa M. Konkol
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
Matthew 25:34-36 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
___________________________________
I, a tired Mom of 3, was out of ideas. I wasn’t having much luck on my own and sat down with my children at the board room (i.e. kitchen table splattered with sticky lunch leftovers) and laid out the problem. Here’s what I told them how they solved it….
Kids aren’t inhibited about freewheeling - you ask them for help solving a problem, and they just start throwing out ideas, without regard for what others think. They think BIG and "fantastical" is not out of the question. So, in about 15 minutes, my kids fixed my conundrum that had sat on the back burner of my mind for a full 2 weeks - simmering while my stagnant ideas evaporated into thin air.
“There’s so many people right now who aren’t able to work and earn money to buy food. How can we fill up this big grey can with food for hungry people? We need help. If a lot of people can help with 1-2 food items, then we can fill it fast and get it to the people who need it. How should we do it? There’s a place at our church where we can take food we collect and they will get it to the people who need it.”
______________________
The kid’s plan:
- Make signs asking for food donations or coins
- Park the truck on the street and decorate it
- Send a photo to friends and neighbors with a short message
- Thank people
So we did it. Worth a try, right? Within 4 hours, the truck was filled with groceries, and I’d venture to say folks were happy to thin out their pantries a little. Some left 1-2 items, others brought bags, others yet donated “coins.” The awe of this - for me - was the pure and simple joy on my kids’ faces when they checked the truck over that 4-hour period. I wondered, me of little faith, if they would be "disappointed in the result…" my mind went as far as to how I would talk them through that. Thank you, Lord, for giving me my children to remind me to center Hope in You, on You, with You. And - perhaps most importantly - to START there.
We were so delighted that we carried this on for a second day, then a third day. After the 3 days, when I sat down with my children at the board room table and asked them for more ideas, they wondered… what would happen if OTHERS TRIED THIS, TOO.
Below is the message I sent to 20 people on a group text, along with the invite to forward to others. We included a photo of the collection container. Oh, and most importantly, we said a prayer together and asked for Jesus to show us what to do.
________________________
WILL YOU JOIN US FOR A DAY THIS WEEK TO EXPAND THE EXPERIMENT?
FOOD DONATIONS NEEDED!
My kids have decorated our truck in hopes to do something kind for others while we are all stuck at home. They are so excited to finally have an idea of how THEY can help so many in need right now. They are asking for food donations. My kids will suit up in gloves and masks to deliver and we will share photos.
**If you have anything extra in your pantries to share, please stop by THIS WEEKEND. If you need a tax donation receipt, let me know and I’ll bring you one. Don’t have extras but want to donate? Text me, and I’ll tell you how to donate with cash/check/Venmo/PayPal and I’ll purchase non-perishables for you.**
The Hope Center is a partner distributor for the food bank (food & financial assistance, serving these zip codes: 78201, 78208, 78209, 78212, 78213, 78215, 78216, 78217, 78218, 78233, 78234, 78239) and is in need of food donations. Specific needs are pork and beans, canned fruit, canned soup, and peanut butter and jelly. Demand for non-perishables is great.
Food can be dropped off in the bed of our Tundra, parked on the street at our casa, or in the gray tub at our front door.
Feel free to forward to others.
P.S. Quantity isn’t the point, it’s centering Hope on the G-d first. Since you’re probably wondering, the truck bed was so full of groceries that it required 2 vehicles, and the coins donated were just under $400. G-d is GOOD.
Matthew 25:34-36 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
_______________________________
Click below to share the encouragement!
