Count it All Joy

On Tuesday night at the House of Love Soup Kitchen we fed 111 people. The numbers are running high in these difficult economic times. There are over 100 people being served each week and of these numbers 30-40 are children.
According to:
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/child-hunger-facts.aspx

“The problem of childhood hunger is not simply a moral issue. Child hunger hampers a young person's ability to learn and becomes more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult. Scientific evidence suggests that hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens.”
• In 2010, 16.4 million or approximately 22 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty.

Winter is settling in around parts of the country yet the occupy movement in many places is still standing strong. There are those who are of the opinion that these young people are wrong in the way they are going about bringing attention to the financial inequities in this country but their efforts are keeping a song of freedom alive in the hearts of many. There’s a scripture in the bible St. Matthew 23:4 “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” This describes congress, the banking industry, insurance companies, and all the financially fat cats that control 97% of the wealth in this country and don’t care that they are laying hardships on the backs of the poor, the working poor, and the middle class. Who’s going to help us? The hungry children…the homeless millions…struggling workers…I say power to these young people who are keeping the struggle alive and a fire burning in the hearts of the people who are being sacrificed each day for the love of money.

Trauma walks through the door seeking solace from a world filled with turmoil. Lost my job…getting evicted…program ending…just got out of prison…haven’t eaten in a few days…alcohol blows in from the street falling over feet oblivious to hardship…drugs nod out lids heavy shutting out pain and shame…words of hope infuse the atmosphere…count it all joy to draw closer to the source of life proclaiming victory over adversity and power to fill hours stretching into eternity with wisdom of understanding…laughter floats on waves of camaraderie creating a sense of solidarity with random voices accentuating momentary unity which blends with the aroma of food announcing dinner is ready.