I've been working at Vision Ministries. It's a place where they have all kinds of food, clothes, housewares, toiletries, etc. that they give out to people who can't afford to buy those things. They work with the poor and homeless in Denton, to make sure they have the things they need and that they feel they are noticed and taken care of. Yesterday was my first day to actually get to see the "clients" and go pick out the clothes and things for the families. A young man and woman came in with an adorable 1 year old boy and a tiny premature baby boy, probably the smallest baby I've ever seen outside a hospital. I sat and talked with her about her kids, and she told me that they don't have any coats or sweatshirts for them. She also has an 8 year old boy, a 9 year old boy, and a 4 year old girl. The boyfriend she was with just lost his job, and they don't have any money to go buy coats for their kids. As I left her and went back to the warehouse to grab some clothes, I probably had 100 things roll through my head. I pulled together the warmest outfits I could find for each, put them in bags, and just prayed that somehow God could make them fit longer and feel warmer than they should. After I gave her the clothes, they thanked me and started to leave. Then she turned around and asked if they could come drop off some clothes that their older kids had outgrown. She said they couldn't use them anymore, but she really wanted them to be able to help someone else the way she had been helped. I told her of course that would be wonderful, and thanked her for her generosity. I was honestly just shocked that she would be so willing to give out of the very little that she had to make someone else's kids warm and happy. My heart felt really full after meeting her.
I've always liked Oprah. I like that she gives and gives to people. I like that she gives to soldiers and their families. I like that she gives opportunities to girls in Africa. Oprah is the richest African American in the 20th century, and was the only African American billionaire in the world for a time. She is worth over 2.7 BILLION dollars. She has her Angel Network, raising over $80 million for nonprofits around the world, she raised $11 million for Katrina victims, and she opened her school for girls in South Africa. She has money, and she does amazing things with it. Then today on Kidd Kraddick in the morning, they were describing the new house Oprah is buying. More than 30,000 square feet, $68 million dollars, and just for herself.
Now maybe she plans to put hundreds of orphans in all those extra rooms, but I doubt it. And I have no reason to tell Oprah what to do with her money or her home, and I don't really care to. But it made me think of the story in the Bible where everyone is in the temple and all the rich men are unloading huge offerings on the altar, showing just how much they can afford to give. And then the little old widow comes in and puts down 2 coins that don't even equal a penny in our time. Jesus tells his guys that this lady has given above and beyond what the rich men did, because they gave out of their excess and she gave out of her poverty. She gave everything that she had, praying and hoping and believing that God would provide for her. Oprah gives millions and millions of dollars to help people, and that is amazing and wonderful. Oprah also gives with enough left over to spend $68 million on a home that she'll probably have to explore for a week just to see every room. The woman at Vision Ministries yesterday had a heart to give out of her nothing. She gave what she couldn't really afford to lose, understanding the depth of joy and peace it would bring to someone else. So I used to really admire Oprah, but now I kinda think Misty, the girl with no money and 5 kids and a heart for giving, is who I'd rather try to be like.
