SEEING EQUALLY

My mom raised me to see the poor, to view life through the eyes of people who are economically at the bottom. She taught me that people living in impoverished conditions need help, and that I could serve through prayer, mission trips or volunteering. However, my perspective dramatically changed when I began working as a nanny for a wealthy family in California. Before working there, I had a mental picture of how wealthy people lived; I saw wealth as privilege without struggle. What I didn’t expect to see was genuine need. These people had real struggles like everyone else, just not economic ones. It turns out I needed to see the rich in the same way my mother taught me to see the poor. Just like us all, regardless of class, there was a longing for love, attention, encouragement, and structure. The sweetest part was not just serving this family and meeting needs, but getting to be a point of connection to Jesus. My experience as a nanny taught me to disregard any sort of class system, and to approach all people as needing help and, most importantly, love. I now realize God’s idea of significance is way different than mine, and He can use anyone, in any role, to be powerfully loving. Truly, He sees us all.