“Hi,” Dan said as we sat down next to them. “How are you doing?” Gwen’s eyes started to tear up. “Not so good. Our landlord has given us a week to come up with one month’s rent or they’ll evict us.” I reached out to grab her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m so sorry,” I said.

Gwen and Richard had been having a hard time with their finances. She was staying at home with the baby, and Richard’s employer had cut his hours by a third.

During the sermon Dan leaned over and whispered, “I think the Lord wants us to help them with their rent.” I nodded, wondering where the money would come from. Between paying for braces, school clothes, and a new refrigerator, we didn’t have much left over at the end of the month. But I figured that the money we had set aside for a new sofa would cover what they needed. We would just have to keep making do with the same threadbare furniture we’d been using since we were first married. Toward the end of the sermon, I grabbed my purse and wrote out the check for their rent.

Throughout the Bible, God shows us His heart for the poor, and He wants us to be generous with what He has given us. Pray for wisdom, and if you can’t donate financially, perhaps you can give of your time, certainly your prayers.