Friday, December 9, 2011

The Difficulty of Saying No, the Difficulty in Saying Yes

I imagine many of you are like me and have a hard time saying no to a request.  I have met a few who have no trouble saying no but they seem few and far between.  Here in Gesses, it is even more challenging because the requests don’t come by email or phone but rather to our front door.  They are also more numerous.
Some requests are easy to respond to positively while others have long term repercussions.  Today, a young woman came with her 2 year old and her 4 day old baby.  She wanted clothes for her baby.  Of course I would love to give clothes but if I say yes, it means word will quickly get out to all women with newborn babies.  So, I have to decide.  Do I want to provide all newborn babies with clothing?  This is not North America.  Women do not just have 3 children ... and there are hundreds of women within walking distance.
It was difficult saying no.  It was much easier treating her 2 year old daughter who had a oozing wound by her ear which had caused a lot of swelling.  Above all else, I desire to show Christ’s love to those that come to my door even if it means saying no.

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