NOUVEAU-POOR FAMILY STRIKES IT RICH
I heard this compelling story on npr yesterday when I was running errands and it really talked to me.
http://www.kclu.org/programs/marketplace/ march 5, 2012 interview with David Gura
A couple in Georgia was down in the dumps. They’d both lost their jobs and finally at whit’s-end, cobbled together 5 part-time jobs to try to make enough money to live and hopefully keep their house. At church one day, the pastor talked about all the children in their area who were in poverty and weren’t even having food on their table. It was a powerful moment. Even as bad as they ‘thought’ they had it or even in spite of how desperate things felt, their situation was still far better than others.
They decided to get out of their own story and get into action. No matter what, they would open a soup kitchen. Now, it’s become a community staple. So here they are today, poor but not that poor, contributing to their neighbors in a way that was feasible for them.
Hearing their story reminded me that no matter how difficult our challenges, helping others and being of service to mankind, fills our heart with love. This kind of giving expands our perspective, and infuses life with more meaning. And as a bonus, we’re all inspired to go within, to reach out and to give just a little bit more.
