The MET Church Houston, Texas

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

On her first evening at the shelter, the young mother watched people line up for the meal when a woman next to her offered to watch her children so she could get their food. The young mother was immediately suspicious and refused. The next morning, when the same woman offered to watch her children again, the mother asked the woman bluntly, “Why?” “Because everybody needs help sometimes,” the woman answered. Sadly, the young mother’s life had been filled with violence and exploitation, so she had learned to distrust everyone.

Not too long after, this young mother started going to church at the shelter and saw people praising God. Afterwards, she talked to some of them and found out they’d been through even worse things. How could they praise God in spite of their horrible hardship? As she learned more about God, she began to understand why. He loves them and has a deeper plan for their lives. He is able to meet their needs in amazing ways. She saw real proof of that.

This young mother received help and encouragement from shelter staff. While the road to healing has been long and difficult for the young mother, she now has expectant hope for a better future. She is determined to avoid a life in the streets and to give her children the hope she never had. The shelter where she lives is largely supported by the donations of businesses and local churches. They also rely heavily on people who volunteer their time to help the work continue. By the way, the young mother was raised here in Houston and the shelter where she lived is right in our backyard.

As a family, discuss ways for you to help the least of these brothers of mine. There are plenty of opportunities for the whole family to serve together. Visit TheMETonline.org to check out our upcoming opportunities to serve; then make a plan to get involved.