Words from the Weary Wilderness - Lenten Journey Day 16

posted on March 15

Day Sixteen                          Saturday, March 19
 
When Our Relatives Have Money Problems  
           
Read: Leviticus 25:35
 
³⁵ If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become dependent on you,^[a] you shall support them; they shall live with you as though resident aliens.
 
Today’s Word from the Weary Wilderness: “…you shall support them; they shall live with you…
 
Reflection: I receive this passage as one of the weariest ones, having had kin who have fallen into difficulty. I am seen as the stable and “successful” one in my family, and the burden to offer shelter and funding has often fallen on me. I have found this passage to be wearisome as I have tried to be faithful, and I have often spent a lot of money and time on family members that did not feel like a good investment. Yet I see that in the days of the wilderness, someone’s very survival may have depended upon hospitality such as mine. Have you ever had an experience like this? How does it feel to try to be faithful? And do you sometimes wish this passage was not pressing on you? 
 
Prayer: God of the Wilderness, there are only so many resources. We know that there are many reasons that our family members may not have the resources they need. Help us to be obedient, and to be healthy, at the same time. What can we do to honor you without dishonoring our own mental and financial well-being? How would you have us hear this word in our own weary wilderness of family life? Amen.

Blessings of Peace and Health,
Bev
 
Rev. Beverly B. Coppley
District Superintendent
& Chief Missional Strategist