“I am a poor Lord, please listen to me and answer my prayer!"
~ Psalm 86:1
The park was relatively quiet for a weekend morning. There were a few joggers, a mom out with over-energetic
kids who were burning off excess energy and a couple of dog owners with their
canine friends. She loved Saturday
mornings in the park – it was really her only time off from the role of
caretaker in her family.
The oldest of three children, she must look after her
siblings while her father ekes out a living driving a truck. Her father is a hard-working man, but his 12 to
15-hour shifts don’t provide enough income to pay the bills.
Megan dreamed of graduating from high school and attending
her prom. But while her friends buy prom
dresses and arrange after-prom parties, she struggles to feed her sisters and
brothers. As other families choose
between colleges, hers must choose between medical care and welfare.
After attending classes all day, she fixes dinner, helps her
siblings with class assignments and puts them to bed – all before starting her
own homework.
Megan walked across the stone bride and glanced down at her
gaunt reflection in the water below. Mismatched
clothing hung loosely over her bulky frame; the result of high-fat, processed
foods that so frequently make up a low-income diet. Her vacant eyes told the story of a teenager
living at the margins. She closed them
in silent prayer.
“Why Lord,” she pleaded.
“Why am I so poor while others are so rich? Why do I have little to eat when others leave
platefuls of food untouched? Why am I
always feeling so anxious, desperate and broken?”
She opened her eyes again to see an old woman pushing an
empty wheelchair in the direction of the girl on the park bench. Maybe the elderly woman was using it for
balance; as a better walking aid. She
stopped for the girl. “Sorry it took me
so long Brandi, we can go now,” Megan overheard.
After locking the chair’s wheels, the paraplegic girl
struggled to transfer herself to her only means of mobility and independence. As the
old woman struggled up the sidewalk’s slight incline, Megan felt ashamed. Things aren’t always as they seem; we seldom
know the weight of another’s baggage. But
God had answered her prayer – not in the way she had envisioned. Instead, He offered an opportunity.
She raced toward the pair.
“Hi,” she said, “I’m Megan, may I help a little?”
Thank You Lord that Your blessings come to me abundantly, unexpectedly,
delightfully - like showers from heaven, like rivers flowing through a thirsty
land. Thank You for the way You
influence my heart, draw my spirit, and delight my soul. Amen
