Daily Walking, Working, and Winning by God's Word by Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr.

As the Christian world focuses upon Palm Sunday and its pageantry. As we begin Holy Week, we cannot lose sight of our call to help people in need: the last, the least, and the lost. Can you imagine the economic pressure on people who look at us and think we have plenty? Struggling to make it cause everyone to be a target for assistance and places people at odds with one another. However, we are called to help those in need. One of the areas of need I have discovered is the disconnect people have with the system and the technology that is so readily in use. People who need assistance have been bounced around by the system that they feel no one care about their situation. The danger is that none of us are able to be case managers for the needs of all the people we encounter. I believe we can be a source of encouragement, a listening ear, and a referral source to cut through the red tape.

I had a person come by my office periodically asking for $10 - $13 to help him to fill his prescription. I have a personal creed that says once, twice, but never thrice. The person didn't know that he had passed his limit. When I told him not to ask me for money; he apologized and left. So unfortunate that he didn't see me as a person but as a resource for funds. If he had taken the time to develop a relationship based upon mutual interests, he may have found that I could have directed him to a source to address his needs.

The best source of help for any person is to direct them to God in prayer.