STRANGE STRANGER IN STRANGE TIMES

He was a very humble man; I had never seen him before after hearing his story, how his wife had a near death experience and lost a baby at birth, I was moved and started helping him. Unfortunately, I had a trip, so I did not stay long, when I got back from my trip, I found my stranger friend was very strange. He had gone through people who had seen me with him and duped them and took money from them. The story about a sick wife was all made up.

This experience pushed me to be careful in helping. When the Bible says, “For I was hungry you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, Matthew 25:35). I get conflicted, and I ask myself, did I miss a stranger to bless or did I escape a duping person. The ministry I serve with in the last 2 weeks fed 1500 families, The feeling of who I fed collides against the feeling of who I did not feed, and I get sparks, mainly because the need is huge and the decision on who should not get food is painful and difficult, I wish I could feed everybody. I find these words spot on, Luke 4:26, ‘I assure you that there were many widows in Israel In Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. This is helpful to know that I can be sent to someone and not everyone.

These hard times are also opportunity moments to discern who the Lord wants you to feed! Which stranger to invite and be the hands and feet of Jesus bringing rest to those that are heavy laden. And at the same time is not taken by the wit of the Gibeonites, they made a real pretense and duped Joshua, 9:13 and these wine skins that were filled with were new but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.’ The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord

The interesting part is that, when Jesus says that when you fed the least you were feeding me, the people being addressed had no memory of who they fed, Matthew 25:38 ´When did we see you a stranger and invite you in” . This season do not close the door of your heart to the widow at Zarephath. Do not try to meet the needs of every widow, all heal every leper. Inquire of God do not act out of emotions but act out of spirit guided emotions.

Currently I am processing a case of my newest strange stranger, this lady called me and told me she was paralyzed from the chest downwards and asked if I could I help. I did not do anything about this request, with this current situation of staying home, I decided I should buy her some beans and flour, so I looked up her number and called her. She told me; I am not at home I went to hospital I just got a baby. I need an Emoji to express what I felt!!! because I thought when you are paralyzed from the chest to the legs you cannot. Get a baby. So, I took a deep breath and asked her, are you married, she said, I have a man, he is mute, so we are both disabled. This was breath taking so called the village leader to help me size up the situation of this family before I do a thing.

The strange stranger in strange times like these needs help, better still if there is a God guided action such as that of Elijah to the widow of Zarephath.