Last wednesday I had a wonderful opportunity to assist Radiant Church, Beacon Church, and Jackson Housing Commission on a mission to feed 300 people in Reed Manor Apartments. One of the hardest things about being on this lockdown is I really miss our residents. The hardest thing to deal with during this covid 19 epidemic is being able to identify who’s sick and who’s not. I myself do not worry about my own life. My life was given to God 7 years ago. I told Him do with me as you wish. I am your instrument. The only thing that bothers me is not knowing if I myself am carrying this virus silently infecting anyone within 6 ft of me. It terrifies me knowing that I could be secretly giving someone I love and care about a death sentence. For this reason I have decided to stay away from everyone including my own son, for their safety.
It does give me great pain and anxiety not being able to be there for the people. When Pastor Wendy messaged me about still doing the pantry I was a little bit conflicted but I understood the reason for her passion and it fueled my own even more. I couldn’t wait to help. With the guidance of Jackson Housing Commission we determined it would not be safe to run the pantry the normal way we use to. We decided instead of making them come to the pantry, we would bring the pantry to them. Each household’s food was bagged ahead of time, and all we had to do was knock and leave at door. That way contact is kept at a minimal. The property manager sent out a letter to every resident in Reed Manor to let them know the date and time we would be knocking giving them instructions to stay inside and wait for the knock.
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a community to raise a city. Together we do what needs to be done for the betterment of everyone. One of the biggest life lessons I took from reading the Bible and the teachings of Jesus was that love is the answer to every question. Every situation or challenge a person faces can be countered with love. I noticed that most of the time when Jesus was teaching, he would first do something for the people. He would literally turn himself into a resource specialist and give the people anything they needed, from healing to feeding. Today I use the resources I am blessed with to bless others and as we bless them we establish relationships which encourage positivity, love, and most importantly change. I believe like Jesus, fill them up with as much resources as possible then once full give them knowledge, understanding, and life!
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
Coretta Scott King
Community Soldier 