She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20
We all see those commercials on TV about children in foreign countries, walking around barefoot, needing our help. Do we stop and think what could really do to help this child who lives so far away, or do we keep flipping through the channels thinking, "All they want is money; that child won't receive much help." I hope it at least makes us pause and think, "Well, maybe I could do a little bit more to help." But we can't stop there; we must act on this thought.
A woman of virtue reaches out to the poor and needy. If we want to be a woman of virtue, we must do the same even if it is stepping out of our comfort zone. I wish I could speak to you about this next part so that you can close your eyes and just listen, but I can't. So just imagine with me for a minute....
You are walking down this dirt road, the main road into this village. You are surrounded by dirt, no pavement anywhere. You are in a foreign country; you came to help give medicine to its people. You see most of the people have no shoes on; someone tells you that some of these people have walked for miles just to get some medicine for their family. You see a mother holding one child on her hip, one child strapped to her back by fabric, and two children standing at her feet; there is no man in sight to help her.
You hear a cry. You follow the sound and come to a little girl sitting in a chair with a nurse working at her feet. The girl has an infection in her heel, and the nurse must get it out before it gets worse. The nurse tries to give the girl a shot to numb the pain that is coming, but the little girl's skin is so tough the needle cannot penetrate. She must endure the pain of the cutting of scissors. Two grown men must hold her still so the nurse can work, one holding her arms while the other holds her leg. The girl continues to scream, begging them all to stop.
You leave because you can't bear the sight of the girl's tears any longer. You then come across a little boy about 3 years old. He stomach protrudes so much he can barely stand up. He has to lean back to balance himself. You hear the nurse say that fluid has filled his stomach because he is so malnourished, and that he probably will not make it to the morning. But she gives his mother some milk to feed him anyway.
Do you know where you are? You are in Africa. I was in Africa. I witnessed these events and many more first hand. It was devastating but also very rewarding to reach out to these poor and needy people. They are not only needy in the material sense; they are needy in the spiritual sense. They hunger for Christ. As virtuous women we must show the love of Christ to people, not only to try to help their material needs but also to help that spiritual need with the love of Christ.
So next time you see one of those commercials, I hope you don't just pass it by. There is always something you can do to help, no matter how small you may think it is. Below are a few organizations that I would recommend that reach out to the poor and needy.
Compassion
Brother's Keepers
World Vision
Samaritan's Purse
Proverbs 31:20 Ministries
Habitat for Humanity
To view more pictures from Africa, click here.
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| AFRICA |
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