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The Lord reminded me of a time and day when I was in Ghana, Africa; back in 2004. The local missionary there had informed us that he wanted three ladies from our mission team to meet three other ladies in a village not far from where we were staying. He stated that these women were old widows that the missionary had been caring for. They lived in a predominantly Muslim area and were persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. He wanted us to meet them because he felt that they would bless us because of their beautiful spirits.

Ghana is very close to the Sahara Desert and it very hot! In the shade it was sometimes 120 degrees! So here we were in this little village full of mud huts and taken to a little hut that housed three little widow women. When I looked down at one of the ladies, she was laying on a pillow that was full of flies. She actually had a little child on her that she was rocking (I’m sure it was from the village) lying on that pillow too. The second widow was there and the third widow was out in the village. The three women that lived in this little mud hut were often persecuted with no pastor, no one to lead them and no one to encourage them on a daily basis. They had no form of income other than the little bit of money that the local missionary could supply to them to help them. Yet, they were singing and praising God for His provision and for the wonderful life that He had given them.

I was reminded at that time when the Bible said, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last” (Matthew 19:30; Matthew 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). I could just see us all standing in Heaven, before God, in a line, and I would be in the very back and look up to the front of the line and see these three beautiful women: Women that this world will never know. Many will never have the honro of meeting  them but I was given the privilege to meet these three beautiful women who love the Lord regardless of their circumstances.

The Apostle Paul has said, “I’ve learned to be content whether I am hungry or well fed.” I am humbled as I even think about these three women and how many times in my own life I often complained when I am well fed. In fact, I am often over fed. I guess today I need to take some time to ponder, really where is my heart? Where is my first love and who is my first love?

I think these are questions that we can all ask ourselves: What would we do? Where would we be if we were old, and widowed, and had nothing; did not even have air and lived in a little mud hut? Would we be singing His praises about how wonderful He is or would we be complaining? I think sometimes we have too much and it makes us ungrateful; at least, I know, for myself that is true. Today I just have to ask the Lord to forgive me and to work in my heart that I will learn to be content in any situation, knowing that I am a child of the Most High God.

Be encouraged.

Mother Teresa said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty” and many of the women that we work with at Hosea’s House, as well as the children, have known that poverty. More poverty in that way (the feeling of being unwanted and loneliness), than any other poverty that they have experienced.

Sometimes Churches have a hard time meeting someone at their point of need when their poverty is loneliness. It’s easier to hand someone a meal, or to fix a meal, or even bring food to the food pantry, than it is to help someone’s loneliness.

I have found, in my years of ministry, that helping people through their loneliness is our greatest need. People often ask me, “What is your greatest need?” and I often tell them, “We need friends.” The women of Hosea’s House need someone that will walk along side of them, to show up and be present in their life; for that is their greatest poverty.

Most of the women that we work with have little to no family so they have no one to have a cup of coffee with. Small pleasures that most of us take for granted, like stopping at McDonald’s and getting a Coke to drink while talking about what’s going on in their life do not happen for these ladies.

Friendship and fellowship are our greatest needs, for someone to show up and say, “I want to be present in your life and I want to share your ups and downs and I want to share my life with you.” For the ladies at Hosea’s House, that will make the difference if people will show up and be present.

We have been blessed by so many that have journeyed alongside of Hosea’s House, and we’re so very grateful for that! I don’t want to ever take that for granted because we cannot do this ministry without the help of others and the Churches. But, we need more help! We need those that will consistently show up and be the friend that these ladies are missing.

Being a friend does not have to be hard. Being a friend can be a one hour visit every two weeks. It could be a phone call a card in the mail that’s meant to encouraging our residents. Being a friend is simply doing small things that would make a huge difference in the lives of the residents at Hosea’s House.

My request of you is that you pray about how God would have you make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering from the greatest poverty of loneliness and feeling of unwanted.