Series: Blessed Be
Psalm 113:7 ESV
Matthew 5:2-12 ESV
I read a story this morning about a grieving widow. I don’t know firsthand, but my Mom has told me that loosing a much loved spouse is horrific.
My dad died of cancer when he was 60 years old. They had been married nearly 40 years. She grieved for years.
While she was grieving she joined a very large active singles group. She is an extrovert and she loves being around people. She traveled with her girlfriends for years and they had a grand time!
Then one day a fellow her age re-introduced himself at singles group. For 40 years he lived with his wife and son six blocks from where she lived. His son…his only son died in a tragic accident while he was in high school. His son was in my brother’s graduating class.
As the two became friends, he announced his intentions.
She said no.
He asked her out.
She said no.
He courted her.
She said no.
She told him the cost of getting involved was too great.
She had been wrecked by losing a spouse and she wasn’t about to get involved with anyone again.
Psalm 113:7 tells us, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.”
In the past I might have been tempted to view the poor as a group of people who stand in food lines because they lost their job and don’t have any money to buy food.
Or I might have thought about a family who lost their home and they didn’t have a down payment for another home so they were living in a shelter.
However, today I have a much broader view of what being poor means.
Jesus talked about the poor in spirit. In Matthew 5:2-12 (The Beatitudes) Jesus told the crowd,
“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Back to Mother’s story…while she was determined, he was more determined and he had a generous spirit about him.
Once again while we often think of generosity in monetary terms, his generosity was much deeper and wider than coins.
He courted Mother.
Even while they were friends he was courting her.
He was kind and thoughtful. He treated her like she was special.
In the end, his generosity won her over. He had been a sailor during World Water II (like my dad) and he was a gentleman.
He was not a caveman if you get my drift.
I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that many men of today don’t understand the art of winning a woman’s heart by being a kind gentleman.
After a while and after a lot of kindness and a generosity of spirit the two became friends.
Then after a while and a lot of kindness and generosity of spirit (once again not in the monetary sense) they became really good friends.
Then after a while and a lot of kindness and generosity of spirit they became a couple.
The gentleman did not stop pursuing her.
They married on a cold day in Winter. It was indeed a Winter romance. It wasn’t anything like her Spring romance before, but it was a good match. She cared for him when his body gave way to diabetes. He cared for her daily needs.
After many years his body gave out and she buried him next to his first wife.
While he wasn’t my dad, he was a good dad to me and I was blessed by his life. Mother had been blessed twice over by two very good men. I am reminded today of God’s goodness and grace as I remember the provision of my two dads.
Spiritual Practice: God’s Provision
How has God blessed you with provision of kindness and generosity?
In God, Deborah
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