WEDNESDAY, July 15

In our community, dozens of churches joined together decades ago to establish a food pantry to assist the poor. It operates 100 percent on the food and money contributions and the volunteers from those churches while feeding about ten thousand people a year.

Occasionally a weary volunteer will judge the life of a person who comes asking for food. "Look at the car she drove here." Or "Funny they ask for food when they admit to having cable television."

Recently a bright, young college sophomore came to help deliver food to the homebound elderly. While packing the food for her list, she told me that she was very familiar with the pantry. "When I was a little girl, I waited in the car with my brothers and sisters while my mom came here for food," she said. "We would hope that there would be a special treat like Jell-O or pudding that day."

She joyfully left, and I knew she would be delivering so much more than food to those she would meet that day. I was the first one she fed.

PRAY for the Diocese of South Carolina  (Province IV, U.S.)

Ps 38 * 119:25-48; 1 Samuel 20:1-23; Acts 12:18-25

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