We are blessed by helping people who are in great need. There are many around us who are struggling.
A reflection by Mary Lou Edgar for February 16, 2025.
The past couple of weeks have flown by. There has been so much to consider, so much to plan, and so much to do. Often it is difficult to think about how we are blessed when we are doing so much – it feels like once we get one thing off our plate, something else takes its place. Usually, we are flustered during the holidays and are looking forward to some relief when they are over. In our family we are busy from Halloween to the beginning of February. We celebrate several birthdays together with the big holidays, so we are often on autopilot and not paying enough attention to what we are doing. That led me to start thinking about why we do these things if we are rushing and then collapsing when they are done. I began to think about the Beatitudes. When Jesus gave them to His followers, they were something to seriously consider. As I recall, this is not all of them, but these cover all I am thinking about:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in Heaven…”
—Luke 6—17-26
At SsAM, we have been called by the Holy Spirit to assist those in our community who are struggling with housing issues. When the temperature reaches a certain level, we provide a warm place to sleep, together with food and beverages to keep their bodies warm. Those who work to help with this are usually quite tired but also joyful to have been able to make a difference. They are helping people who are hungry and cold.
They are giving of themselves. Many people do not have knowledge of how it feels to be hungry and cold. Just as the people in need are blessed by what we provide, we too are blessed by helping people who are in great need. They are our brothers and sisters.
Each of us has experienced times when we are so very sad.
Maybe someone we love died; maybe someone we care for is very ill; maybe we are in love with someone who is not in love with us. There are so many people around us who are struggling with mental health issues. Some days it seems as though they will not make it through the day. Maybe they just need someone to sit with them and not say anything. Maybe they are scared and need someone to help them get the help they need. Possibly they are seeking help with an addiction, and they don’t know how to ask for help. Sometimes that person is us. Hurting people respond to smiles and kind words. When we ask softly and show acceptance and respect, we may get a smile in return. We may not, but we must keep trying.
Those we help are blessed, but so are we.
We have just gotten a new president and many things in our government are changing. Sometimes, it does not feel very Christian. Some of my extended family members have always said that they disagree with many of my choices because I try to live my life as a Christian. It is not always easy and sometimes I get angry, but I do try very hard. Many people who live their lives this way have been ridiculed and excluded. That can be very difficult to accept. However, if we listen to what Jesus is saying to us, we should be glad because our reward is great in heaven. This is a blessing that is not always easy to understand. I remember being made fun of because I was of a different religion than my friends. It didn’t feel like a blessing until I was much older. I pray that if that happens again, I will have the courage to realize what a blessing my faith is.
It is important to think daily about our blessings and to be grateful for them. We have what we need, and we can help one another. There is no greater blessing. Well, maybe except that Canon Casson’s birthday is this week and that the Eagles won the Super Bowl. We really are blessed!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mary Lou Edgar, MSS, is a clinical social worker who founded A Better Chance for Our Children, an adoption and foster care agency that works to find permanent homes for children in the foster care system. Mary Lou was the Executive Director of ABCFOC, but she is now retired. She graduated from Neumann University and Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research. She and her husband joined SsAM in 2021.
