Today, I met a 70 year old woman who has been without electricity for the past three months.  That’s right.  A 70 year old widow has been without power during the three hottest months of the summer.  It turns out that her latest roommate failed to pay the bills and LG&E shut their service off; not an uncommon thing here in Germantown.

She spent last weekend in the hospital.  She had chest pain and thought it was a heart attack.  Doctors ran several tests and discovered that it was not a heart attack at all, but the culprit is stress.  She spoke of the stress of simply surviving.  At least she was cool and well fed while she was poked and prodded.  She was released on Monday and is now living back at her home that has no power.

This woman has not had a warm bath in months.  She cannot cook on her stove or use her microwave.  She gets excited when she talks about her air conditioner and the many fans she has laying around the house, but what use are they without electricity?

I asked her if she had any friends or family.  Yes, she has a caretaker.  I got excited that help was on the way! But I found out he was put in jail five weeks ago and she doesn’t have any other friends or family.

Amazingly, she professed to be a Christian.  This woman was a former Sunday School teacher.  Her faith was strong and we walked through 1 Peter 1 together.  What amazing hope we have in Christ!  We prayed and as the Holy Spirit comforted us, we experienced rest in Christ’s infinite provision.  Though times are difficult, nothing can separate us from His love.  She said she was so glad to have come to meet us.  She was comforted in her spirit and had a renewed strength to get through the day.

The whole time, I was reminded of 1 John 3:17-18, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how an the love of God be in him.  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Join me.  Let’s rise up and be the church.  Who among Sojourn is willing to come along side this woman during this time of need?  We have material resources and gifts of all kinds…we simply need to put them to use.  Let us help our sister in Christ.  We can lift her up and help carry her burdens.  We can remind her of God’s faithfulness and goodness.  Who is up for it?

If you would like to be involved in Sojourn’s mercy ministry, contact Nathan Ivey at nivey@sojournchurch.com.