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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Who's job is it to care for people?

Lately, giving has been on my mind. I don't know about you, but I was raised in church, so I was raised to tithe. When I married, hubby's family believed in tithing but very often gave the majority of their money to people in need as opposed to the church. Because of this, most of the giving in our family has been to people as well.

So, it got me thinking: who's job is it to care for people?

Obviously, the government believes it is their job to care for us. The problem is, they suck at it!! Government hand-outs, while helpful and sometimes necessary in the short-term, have negative effects when folks think of them as their personal, generational bank accounts.

Years ago, churches believed it was their duty to care for people. Many still do believe it, and do what they can. But they still have bills to pay, programs to buy, employees to support. Many churches are experiencing hard times as well because of our poor economy.

Many communities have food banks, or homeless shelters to care for people. Like churches, many of these sources are experiencing monetary shortfalls as well.

May I suggest that it's you and I, the preppers of today, who have the job of caring for people. No, you don't have to care for everyone! Frankly, some folks don't deserve your help. Some folks think they're owed it, and those would probably be the last people I would help. Some folks want to help themselves to your 'care' and those people should be met with the blunt end of your favorite form of self-defense.

My opinion is that someone you know, someone in your family, your circle of friends, possibly even a blog friend, is in need of help. So, who's job is it to help that person? It's our job! We are in positions to share items from our pantry, our garden, our time, or our finances. It's time to put our money (or food, etc) where our mouths are. It's time to stop complaining that the government shouldn't be helping people and start helping them ourselves.

I'll be honest here and say that hubby and I did not give a penny to the Haiti relief. I have no problems with anyone who did, but we did not feel led to. There are too many in our personal circle who need help, and we would rather bless those around us.

If you'll listen, you'll hear of opportunities to give. If you're a believer, the Holy Spirit will let you know when to give. As an example, hubby and I recently gave $65 to someone. We didn't know if they would need it or not, but thought in their current situation that they might. We felt like God wanted us to bless them that way. Now, $65 is not much. Can't pay the house payment with it; some cars might only get one fill-up with it. We ignored those mental arguments and sent it anyway. We recently saw this person and were met with hugs and tears and thank-you's for money that came right when needed, when they were down to their last dollar and had no time to run to the atm, when life was beyond stressful because of a sickness and eventually a death in the family. Our gift meant as much to them as if it was $500.

That's how we're to care for people. Listen to that still, small voice. Can you lend a hand, offer a bit of relief? It's time for us to start depending on one another; to start giving and taking in love.

There's another bonus, too. You know that the giver always gets blessed beyond what the receiver does, don't you? Maybe not monetarily, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

So, be a funnel. Open at the top to accept God's blessing, but open at the bottom to let some blessings flow out. As financial guru, the late Larry Burkett used to say, we need to give in our time of plenty so that others will give to us in our time of need. Folks, people in your circle are in need, and many more will be, and it's our job to care for each other. We prep for us and we prep for those we love.

Prep on!
Gen-IL Homesteader

8 comments:

APN said...

Good post! We all should accept the responsibility to help those around us and keep the government out of it.

Mechanic in Illinois said...

I agree APN. We need to keep the government out and take care of our own because we're all in this together. It's too late politicians,Liberty Strikes Back.

kymber said...

Gen - your posts are always awesome but this is one of your best!!! we did not give money to Haiti, either, as we have people in our lives that we try to help and who truly need the help as much as anyone in Haiti. it is a wonderful thing when you can spare a few dollars and help someone that really needs it. thanks for sharing this Gen!

Gen-IL Homesteader said...

Thanks for stopping in, guys! Glad you enjoyed the post. It's been on my mind lately.

Yes, Mechanic, Liberty Strikes Back!! Love it! Woo-Hoo!

Gen-IL Homesteader said...

Thanks, sweet Kymber! You have such an encouraging way about you! You always make people feel good! Thanks for stopping in!

Gen-IL Homesteader said...

Thanks, sweet Kymber! You have such an encouraging way about you! You always make people feel good! Thanks for stopping in!

Aloha2U said...

Great post! We did not give to Haiti either because our tax dollars are already being spent there for us, concentrating more on American soil here is what matters the most because none of these other countries are truly gonna step up to the plate if we go down in any disaster.

Not even our own fed gov helps us the way that it was built to. Yup, it's up to each of us as individuals to care for each other and if anything teach one another a thing or two of something much needed to learn and grow from.

Gen-IL Homesteader said...

Thanks for stopping in, Aloha! Teaching is the best form of help we can give others. That old 'teach a man to fish' idea still is great advice.

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