Widows

I would not ask anyone to re-live the 30's. They were tough times, and people did what they had to do to survive. Yes, to survive, not just live. Men traveled the countryside just to earn enough food to feed their families. Women did char service for the same reasons. Many, many brave people, whether Christian or not. Governments were not very benevolent in those days. Even many doctors suffered great losses as they provided medical attention and what drugs were available to assist those disenfranchised by circumstance.

Now we move into the present. There is no excuse for starvation to-day. We live in such rich countries. And yet, there are people begging on the streets, and many a child in the USA and Canada go to bed at night hungry. There is no excuse for this. If the church can't, or won't, take care of these needs, then the government must. These conditions do not always involve laziness and people who will not work. Despite the educational advances in our society, people remain virtually illiterate, and unable to obtain a decent job.

As the mission field for the gospel is scarcely scratched, even so social responsibility in the rich countries is also found wanting. The church has a duty to preach both. This is the clear teaching of scripture. Nevermind debating about who will care for the widows and orphans. Who will care for the nation? We do not live in a vacuum. We do not just live for ourselves. We must reach out to our neigbours. Didn't our beloved Lord Jesus speak about our neighbours? Did He not place great importance on this point? Whilst we debate who is doing what, another million children around the world die from starvation, illness or just plain neglect. We all need to get off our duffs and minister.

Cheers, and God bless,

Jim

 

I have a friend who her and her husband both work, they can not live on his income alone. Once he broke his arm and was unable to work. She got food stamps because without his income she couldn't even pay all the bills. She was a part of the welfare system. Was she lazy too?

If women are to be at home taking care of their children how can they do that and work at the sometime and make enough to support them and their children? Not sure if anyone knows this or not but you can't pay rent, bills and buy adequate food and child care for $500. and less a month. What do you suggest a mother to do?

There are many people in this country who do not have the benefit of expensive educations. I ave seen many people who worked hard and could not support their families with what they were able to make. You go to the store and buy vegetables and never think of the people who worked to grow them. I can tell you from experience those farm hands were being paid a pittance, with families living well below poverty levels, with never enough food or warm clothing, inadequate heat in the winter.I don't know about where you live, but here a hard days labor of 6-15 hours of work on a farm only pays $10.-$20. a day, thats $20. if your fortunate to find it, which usually requires milking cows too, and on some farms thats more then 15 hours a day labor with the cows added. What do you suggest to them?

 

There are numerous opportunities for home businesses. I know a lady here who lives on around 750 a month and homeschools. Her husband left her so she makes do. She utilizes the library alot for homeschool books. She does live with her brother so that helps alot. Matthew 6:33.

I know of other famlies who live on what is considered under poverty level. These people seem to do better than others who make more. God is faithful.

 

There was a time when I had to supplement the income...well, actually, it was the ONLY income. I opened a 24/7/365 daycare from my home, charging 50cents/hr & cleared $1500/mo. (We live in the country).

Of course, that was a LOT of younguns, haha.

 

HCL, that requires money and education.
So in your opinon $10. a day is a good income? You believe you can pay rent, bills, buy food and other needs for $10. a day? ANd thats not even 5 or 6 days a week but depends on the weather. I know there were many winter months the land owner had no work for my husband at all. That was $0. income for a month. Our top inocme was for a year was $2,500, and thats not every year either, again it depends on weather. Who can live on that please tell me? The poverty level at that time was $10,000, we were extreme poverty.

 

I am sorry that you suffered like this. But, you made it through that time. Did you have to work outside of your home during this time?

I know that this lady is making it on her 750 and homeschooling two children. She shares rent though. She tells me that God is supplying all of her needs through His children, thrift shops, etc. She is in inspiration to me.

 

$1500 that is pretty good money. I am sure that was a lot of work though.

 

HCL, I only worked when it was tobacco stripping season. This is when I was able to get new shoes till next year. But as for actually being employed out side the home, no I haven't.


No body allows someone to babysit their children when they live in a falling down shack with no bathroom or hotwater, not much heat in winter.

 

I am glad you made it through this hard time and maybe your knowledge can help others on how to make it when money is very tight.

I like to think of myself as very frugal and good with money but I have not had to live through what you spoke of.

 

HCL, we just plain did without. We didn't have much clothing, or food, we had to plan for new shoes for the kids during tobacco cutting season when he made more. My husband had to have workboots regularly, I was the one who didn't need shoes except in winter. We had to barrow to pay the electric and water bills a lot of the time. We had a good landlord who said as long as Robert worked and tried to take care of us and couldn't pay rent he didn't have too. We ate from a lot of places that give away groceries, when we could find them. There weren't as many around back then. We used off brand dollar store everything, believe me cheap laudry soap does not clean your clothes. We cut our own fire wood most of the time, when we could get permission to cut somewhere, this is the hardest job I've ever done, out in the woods in snow up to your knees carry wood that hasn't been busted yet.
None of this was because anyone was lazy. We worked our butts off.
Since no one helped us, food stamps were the only way we could eat, and they do not give anyone enough for a month of food. I would like to hear suggestions on how working people who can't make enough moeny should not need anyones help.

Does anyones church go out and find these kinds of people and give assistance? Jesus never said to help christians only.

 

In thinking about the thread on dressing up for church, I can say poor people don't want to have to go and be looked at and judged because they don't have anything nice to wear. I Had wanted to go to church for years before we actually did, but I wasn't going to be told I wasn't good enough for church because all I owned was rags to wear.
We didn't go to church till my husband got the job he now has, and brought home all of $110. a week, we thought we were rich.

 

Well, you could probably write a book on how to live with very little. Thank you for sharing. Were you Christian's during this time? If you were was the Church aware of your situation?

Here where I live we have a wonderful ministry that assists the poor. They accept donations of just about anything. I am so blessed every time I go there to see people bringing in their donations. They are like Salvation Army except they give out everything for FREE. They also have a lunch kitchen that gives out free lunch every weekday.

With that said I also see a lot of waste where I live. We see many items in great condition being thrown away on the curb or near the dumpster.

 

Well Jesus said to go get people like this to come to church. He said to go the highways and hedges to invite them to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

 

I think we as saved people should always be sensitive of the needs of others. After all, the Bible tells us that "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me".

 

Amen and this includes the fatherless and widows whom God said He will plead their case.

 

1 Peter 2:13-17 (KJV1769):

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto
them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers,
and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing
ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke
of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God. Honour the king.

And if the government says to take that $800 a month
widows check, take it with a smile, as unto the Lord.

 

No we weren't Christians. We had never seen an example of what a good Christian was, we always met judgmental Christians who didn't like us because of the way we were dressed, so we didn't want anything to do with them. We still don't have a lot, but are so much better off, and we actually help people now even if it cuts us short.

I would love to work a ministry like this, we don't have one like this here, I guess our area is so small it is harder now to find the truly needy. I've been to grocery give away places and seen people with fancy cars and diamonds in, line getting free food. That makes you sick.
I know what you mean about waste. I see it sometimes just shake my head, someone could use that. At one time most of our furniture came from a dump. It's pitiful that no one thinks about people who could use it and be glad to have it.

I agree, but too many times theres judgment waiting at the front door. Thankfully when God gave a little bit better home in town He also called us to a church where we were saved a month later, we were never judged there. When the boys were growing up thy even packaged up the leftovers from pot luck and sent home with us. Throughout the 13 years we've been there we've never been judged, even though we are still the poorest in the church, and have been helped when they knew we had a need. They have truly represented to us what Jesus' church is to be like.

Your right granny, but too many only see judgment when they see Christians and don't want anything to do with it.


edited again for more misspellings, gotta learn to use that spell check all the time.

 

Ed I would love it if we had a thread on what people believe verses like that mean and our responsability to obey even those verses.

 

I was off doing something else in the house when it occurred to me, I do not tell our story for sympathy. I do not want sympathy. It is only a story of where God brought us from. Nothing more.

 

donnA~I for one did not think you were telling your story to get sympathy & I doubt anyone else thought it.

I could tell you things that would send you sobbing for days, & sometimes I do break down & share, but it's not for sympathy, but what made me who I am today.

Even tho' we've been the poorest of poor, financially, we are the richest of rich, spiritually.

p.s...it would never do for me to have $$$---I'd just give it all away.