Second Chances

Twenty-eight years ago this month, I had an eight-year-old child and was expecting my second child in a little over a month. Jason had taken a job at John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa, and we were attending a small Baptist church in the small town of Dunkerton. We were living in the town of Calmar and had bought our first home there eight years previously. Financially, we were struggling. Five miscarriages between our two children had pretty much destroyed us because we continued to borrow money against our house to pay for the hospital bills. In December 1997, we were so far in debt and owed three times what our house was worth, and we had no choice but to let the bank have it back. The scary part was that at 8 months pregnant with another young child, we had nowhere to go. Letting the house go back only worsened our credit and no one wanted to sell or rent to us.

On Sunday, we dressed the kids and drove to church as usual. When we had finished service, an older gentleman who was a deacon in the church approached us. He had heard about the situation we were in and had an offer for us. He owned the local lumber yard and had a few construction crews, and he was currently subdividing a large piece of land and putting up new houses. He offered to let us move into the house he was just finishing, we could even choose the flooring, and he would rent us this brand-new house for two years and at the end of that time, we could buy it or move. Two years would get us back on our feet somewhat and we’d be closer to Jason’s job. Carroll Hauptly was an answer to prayer! And I don’t know if he ever really knew how much he had blessed us and how thankful we were for his generosity! God had blessed him and he used his blessing to bless us.

In this day and age, it’s often difficult to know when to help and when not to. There are those who scam decent people and just don’t want to do what’s needed to help themselves. But I think this is a good example of how the church can help its own. Someone usually knows if someone within the church is struggling and we should want to help our church family. And of course, in our community as well, since we know people who are attending other local churches and still belong to the family of God. Helping those in need doesn’t always mean people on the other side of the world, we have needy people all around us.

Proverbs 19:17 tells us, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” The bible speaks a lot about the poor and God expects us to take care of those who are widows, orphans, disabled, etc. The bible also speaks about those who are lazy and foolish, but those are not the ones we are addressing today. Giving to the poor and helping those who are really in need is like lending to God himself. And He always rewards those who do the right thing.

Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” This verse is telling us to help others when they are burdened to the point that they cannot do for themselves. We all have things we need to do daily that we are expected to do on our own, but I believe this verse is talking about burdens that are just too much to bear. Sometimes just walking beside them and praying for them daily can help a lot. We can share ideas of how we came thru a similar struggle, sometimes people just need to know they are not alone and there is hope to come out of this time on the other side, much stronger.

Luke 6:30 also tells us, “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.” The main point I take away from this verse is in not demanding it back. When you give to someone in need, I don’t think God wants you to hold it over their head and to make their life harder by demanding repayment.

Isaiah 58:10 reminds us, “If you pour out your heart to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness.” To me, pouring out your heart can mean sharing God with others, praying for them, walking beside them, and letting them know you are there for them. And satisfying the needs of the afflicted, this is not the person standing at the stoplight with a sign. This is someone who is truly struggling, afflicted tells me that the person has endured a series of things that has brought them really low. But when we help these people, our light shines in the darkness. This is one way we can do as Matthew 5:14 tells us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

When I look back and think of Carroll Hauptly, I’m reminded that he only charged us $400 a month to rent that brand new house, he didn’t ask for a deposit or first and last month’s rent, he didn’t ask for a list of references, he never held his generosity over our heads or demanded anything of us. He didn’t judge us for making some bad choices like borrowing too much against our old house to pay hospital bills or force us to sign 150 documents to protect himself. He gave us a chance to get back on our feet and we did. For us, his light shone very brightly.

We should strive to help those in need, especially those in our church family. And we should do it happily, knowing that the rewards God has for us are true blessings. Think of how Pleasant Grove, which is set on a hill, can shine it’s light in our community! If you haven’t visited yet, join us this week, it’s worth the drive!

Lori Hug