The Holidays' are coming - Are you a hope giver?

Have you ever heard God speaking to you?  Have you heard a silent voice echo within your body?  At first you think you are imagining it, and then there is that moment, that hesitation, where you say within yourself “is that you Father?”  Then you feel a warmth spread through you from an ember you had long thought was dead.  His breath fanning the fire inside until you feel every part of its heat envelope you.  With gratitude, you realize that He has not left you alone in this harsh, sometimes cold world.  Once again, you have hope.”   - Kelly Ilebode (Miracles of Faith)

Many times as a child, this experience happened to me.   I lived in a world where I would slowly loose hope simply because of my hunger.   A hunger that would hurt so deeply, that my stomach would cry out with pain.   Before I even knew about “God”, I knew that there was someone….there had to be.  I knew, because whenever I would talk to “Him”  as a young child asking for food, a neighbor would then magically show up at my mother’s door with a casserole, or a bag of groceries.   Sometimes, I even thought He would deliver it himself, because the door bell would ring and no one would be there.  But a box would.  A box filled with wonderful silver cans of pure heaven.   I tried to tell people about my “gift”.  How I could just speak to the “nice man” and food would come.    Of course no one believed me but I knew He was real and eventually I would stop telling people; but….every time, after my little belly was full, I would run to my room and thank him for feeding me.  I learned several years later, this was called prayer.

My second foster home was that of a Baptist Minister.  Entering that little Church in Jackman, Maine for the first time, I felt the same feeling I had when I was hungry and then fed; the warmth spreading from my heart, through my veins causing the goose flesh to hit every inch of my skin.  I turned and I asked the Minister who’s house this was (not knowing what a Church was, never having been in one) – and he said “This is God’s house”.  I smiled – I finally knew the name of my friend.

 I was seven at the time yet the memories of these events changed my world and live with me to this day.  My experiences of hunger as a child are a blessing to me.   I couldn’t see it then, but I see it now.  I could not be an advocate for the poor without having been poor myself.  I would not be able to speak about the despair hunger causes, if I had never been hungry or felt that despair myself.

 Each neighbor that left food at my mothers' house listened to their inner voice.  (Which I believe is the voice of God.)   Their heart filled with the heat of compassion, empathy and love.  These people filled the void in my body left by hunger, which led me to God, who filled the void in my heart.

 We all have the opportunity to show God’s love each and every day.   What an impact you can make just by giving hope through the feeding ministry.    With your generosity, we can show others that people still care and there are good people out there; but even more importantly, we are saying to God, our Father, that we are truly grateful for each and every blessing he has given us – by giving some back.  Through all of this, we are telling him  we love You!

 Matthew 25:35-40

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Peace be with you all!

Kelly Ilebode