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.