Yesterday we talked about Ellen.

Wednesday afternoon we went to check on her. I’d asked her to stop by and she didn’t come.

In the morning, I had made a couple calls for help. I had figured out some places for her to call. I asked friends to ask God to give me wisdom because I didn’t know what to do.

Wednesday afternoon we went to check on her. I’d asked her to stop by and she didn’t come.

Jesus was pretty clear about the need to respond to people in need. He said that at the end of everything, people would be sorted out based on how they responded to him when he was hungry and thirsty and a stranger and without clothes and sick and in prison. He said that the way we respond when we see his brothers with those needs counts as taking care of him. He said that we can’t say, “Well, of course I would do that for Jesus. But I just can’t see him.” I’m wrestling pretty hard with how to be responsibly responsive.

Wednesday afternoon we went to check on her. I’d asked her to stop by and she didn’t come.

It’s challenging. Which hungry person? How much clothing? Does it matter new or used? What if they lost their house in a poker game? What if they are in jail for molesting? What if they have a dog and so can’t stay in shelters? Those are the questions that we ask all the time. Sometimes hypothetically because we are trying to find the edges. Sometimes devastatingly close to home. Sometimes not at all.

Wednesday afternoon we went to check on her. I’d asked her to stop by and she didn’t come.

It’s possible that Jesus only wanted to spend the night.