On the Line of Pain
by Carlos Ingles
The Impact Resource Center has not stopped despite the pandemic. The team of God’s servants has been fantastic, very brave and dedicated. In fact, as everyone knows, the number of people who have come looking for food has increased. Lately, I have had the privilege of visiting early in the morning with people who are in their vehicles waiting in line for help. It is difficult to approach them because we all still struggle with the fear of the virus. In fact as a way of showing respect I have decided to use a double mask. Judging only by appearance, sometimes the people who come in their vehicles seem fine. My object is to approach them to establish a possible friendship. This requires listening to them, and also giving them words of encouragement. And I always ask them if they will allow me to pray for them.
The most interesting thing that I have discovered about talking to them and mostly listening to them is that many of those who come do not only come because they need some food, but they come because they are going through big problems. Most, like the two people in the photos, have told me with great sadness that they have lost a relative. In fact, a person this past Tuesday told me that his wife died recently and his daughter had been intubated the night before for the virus. This man could hardly speak. The pain and sadness had overwhelmed him. I listened to him with great respect and tried to bring a little peace from the Lord. It has not been easy to hear all these emotionally sad stories. However, I believe that God can use these small actions to sow the seed of the gospel, the gospel that is not legalistic but a gospel of hope, the good news. God wants us to see not only people who need food, but also people who need hope. We in the church are here to bring hope in the “line of pain.” (*They gave me permission to take these photos)
