Give to the needy, you will be blessed

Hello mi neighbour! You are hurrying home with a loaf of bread and a tin of corned beef to feed your hungry children. For sure, you are unsure of their next meal. The pandemic relieved you of your job. Along the way you meet a family of three: mother and two daughters who are very hungry. They ask for the food in your hand. Wow! How do you respond to this request?

Obsessed by the hunger of your children, you cannot meet the beggars’ demand. You remember the maxim: parson crisen dem pickney fus: those to whom we have a stronger emotional attachment and a deeper sense of commitment get first priority. Okay!

Along the way, your bothered conscience is soon silenced by questions and thoughts like: what happen to those children’s father? Can bet is carelessness why she get pregnant for some careless man … serve her right – is only the children mi feel sorry for. By this time, you are at home feeding your children. Good!

As you watch them eat, pictures of the hungry faces you met earlier come into sharp focus and you can’t shake them. “Those poor children should not have been made to suffer the indignity of hunger.” As your psychological misery continues, your guilty conscience speaks: “at least, I could have shared a few slices of bread with the family”. “how could I…?” Sorry. “Next time I’ll show a little more compassion.”

Dear neighbour, let’s process this: what could have been other outcomes here? Application of the injunction “give and will be given unto you” could have resulted in a happier outcome. The young man who gave up his bread/fish lunch, which the Master miraculously used to feed over five thousand hungry people, had no idea of what was in store for him. He did not see the blessings waiting in the wings!

The point is, giving to meet the needs of others, under all circumstances, usually results in rich blessings for the giver. So, let’s say that you gave the bread and corned beef to the other hungry family and the Great Provider, pleased with such selfless act, decided to reward you. By the way, He promises that “those who give to the poor will lack nothing”.

So 10 minutes later, heading home empty-handed and low in spirit, with two hungry mouths still waiting to be fed, your uncle from the country calls to say he is stopping by with some ground provision for your family. When you arrive at home, not only do you see yam, breadfruit, banana, chocho, pumpkin, etc., but a box containing, rice, peas, chicken, cooking oil and the likes to last for the next six weeks.

Pardon this interjection: I just saw a group of persons having what seems to be a wedding celebration with lots of hugging, handshaking, etc. Crazy! Sorry.

Okay, let me stop here, think point is made: giving to the needy despite your needs will open doors of blessing, which will remain open for a long time.

Until next time, be blessed.

THANKS TO NEIGHBOURS

1. Neighbour, St Andrew, for donation of a stove to a needy neighbour.

2. Neighbour, St Andrew, for food packages.

3. Nataya, New York, for donations.

KINDLY HELP SOMEONE FROM LIST BELOW:

1. Neighbour, St Catherine, on his way home from work, met a serious accident. Broke hands and legs, badly damaged neck … needs $300,000 to purchase pins for these broken parts.

2. Neighbour, St Catherine, mother of 3, asking for a stove.

3. Neighbour, Clarendon, caring for elderly … asking for two single beds with linen, chest of drawers, a commode, a stove and other household items.

4. Tabby, single mother with four –no help from fathers. Needs help with tablets for children and windows and doors in her house. She is doing all she can but needs help.

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 876-334-8165, 876-884-3866, or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB. Alternatively, send donations to HELLO NEIGHBOUR c/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10. Paypal/credit card. Email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Mr Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.