Sentinel Watch December 19, 2011 ISSUE

A spiritual model for giving

Lois Marquardt

Our regional newspaper runs a series from Thanksgiving to Christmas that identifies a hundred needy families in our metropolitan area. Each day, a few different stories are shared and each family’s need described. The result is a generous outpouring of donations from the community that helps alleviate the poverty and hardship that many families face.

Such efforts can sometimes feel like a drop in the bucket, though, in the face of the ongoing needs of so many for food and other basic resources. How do we begin to meet the need—and how can we best help? Here’s where prayer can play a major role.