Where are our families?

My business partner, Depesh, is East Indian. Indians put a high priority on extended families. They believe that the family that prays together, eats together, plays together and works together will stay together.

Depesh’s wife is a physical therapist and has a patient who lost both his legs to frostbite. He was evicted from his apartment in the dead of winter, had to sleep in his car for two nights, got frostbite and then gangrene set in. The only solution was amputation of both legs. Depesh’s wife asked the patient, “Where was your family?” He said he had family but he would not ask anyone for help since he didn’t want them to know he was homeless. They really didn’t get along so he felt no one would help anyway.

What really are the issues here? Pride—he didn’t want anyone to know he was evicted and homeless. Other issues were relationship with family plus people having hardened hearts towards one another.

Where is the love of Christ in our hearts? It says in 1 Timothy 5:7-8: "Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

The first inclination in all of our “do-gooder’s” hearts is to form another non-profit to help homeless people. It hasn’t worked; it won’t work. I deal with the homeless every day; it’s not pretty. Many times the only way I can be a blessing to them is to remember that they were once someone’s little baby.

Let’s work to keep our families close and connected. Let’s forgive, let’s reconcile. “Forget it Jerry, it’s too much work,” you say. "It’s hopeless." We live in a time where we have personal trainers, good accountants, financial planners, nice homes, big bellies and empty, hardened hearts. We wince and write each other off at the slightest offense. Oh, how touchy we are. And in the meantime, our kids lose their legs from gangrene and end up going to hell for eternity all because we are proud and unforgiving.

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” ~ Jesus AD 30