The Least of These

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.” Matthew 25. 31 - 46

Paula came to New Orleans from Panama when she was 17. She left her family to try to make a living. She had two children once she was here, and she worked at the airport in one of the restaurants. She began working as a nanny for families and earned a stellar reputation as a caregiver, especially for newborn triplets. When the triplets were ready for school, and she wasn't needed anymore, my son learned about her and hired her to care for his children. Her care for his family is priceless...she loves them all and has devoted the last four years of her life to them.

Paula sends almost all the money she makes back to Panama to care for her mother and to care for the land she inherited from her father. Paula is a landholder and an employer. Most recently she is sending money each month to buy pieces of a fence to surround the property. She told me the other day that she has almost paid for all the posts, so soon she will start buying the barbed wire. She also hires people to work the land, one at a time as she can afford them. And soon she will be able to buy a cow or two.

I pray this morning for Paula and her incredible faith and resilience. I give thanks for her gifts to our family and for her dedication to making the world a better place. She works everyday to offer the least of these in Panama a chance to work. Her life is a testimony to the inheritance of the Kingdom.