Glad to be poor

Have you ever thought about how blessed you are? I mean, truly blessed to be living in a country where the very poor people still, for the most part, have food and shelter.

I have been thinking about poverty for a while now. Technically, my family of 4 live at the poverty level in the United States. We have lived at this level (considered poor) ever since I got married.

But what does that mean? In the United States that typically means that you don't have stuff that is nice as other people. Not that you don't have stuff. Not that you don't have a home or heat or food. Not that your kids have no clothes. It simply means you have donated furniture or someone helps pay your rent or your kids wear hand me downs you get off of freecycle. It means you rely on friends at church to help pay for your car repairs or you take a bus. But it doesn't mean you can't survive or that you are allowed to die.

So how poor am I? I don't have money after I pay my bills and buy food but I have a warm home, food, clothed children, TV, phone, internet, can sometimes go out to eat, have gas to take my children to free local things. I have access to many resources to help us get things we need when we need them. Like having my home weatherized and new windows put in so my gas and electric bill isn't $300+ a month in the winter (my house is just shy of 900 sq ft to give you an idea of how ridiculous the efficiency of our house was). And I can apply to have my heating costs lowered in the winter. And I could find a couch to sleep on or a shelter if I didn't have access to these things or could not pay for my home any longer. I could also go to one of the multiple food banks and get bags of groceries or walk into any number of churches in the area and ask for food if I had none. People, that is blessed!

So today I want to say that I am blessed to be poor in a country where poor means still able to survive and live and be loved. I am blessed to be raising my children somewhere where being poor doesn't really affect them. To my knowledge my near 4 year old has no earthly idea that we have very little money because his needs are met.

And I hope people consider this over the next few days. I want people to think about how they can help end hunger in other countries where poor means not eating. Where poor means cardboard boxes for walls in a home. Where poor means millions of orphans and people dying by masses of preventable diseases and of AIDS.

I also want people to think about how they can help the poor in our country feel loved and cared for. It may be as simple as donating clothes so people don't have to worry about how they will clothe their children. So there is no deciding between clothes and food. Or maybe donate to free clinics for low income people (Frances Nelson Health Center for my local friends) so they don't have to worry about debt if they have a chronic illness or end up seriously injured. Give to Salt and Light or other food banks so that groceries become less of a worry.

I am learning that none of us can do it all but all of us can do some. And a whole bunch of little things turn into a huge impact in our communities. So please find places to use your talents. Maybe you have nothing to give. Maybe like my family it is hard to help fund worthy causes with money... well, go volunteer! Time is just as valuable for many organizations as money. In fact, your volunteered time might as well be money as it lessens the need for paid staff which takes money away from the important functions of your chosen organization. I hope everyone reading this can find a way to make the world a little better. Every small action helps, it really does.