$4.10 – This is the cost of my daily Starbucks run lately. I can’t help it. There’s just something about that Caramel Macchiato that makes my day ten times better. It is during these wonderful times at Starbucks lately that I have been thinking a lot about how I, as a college student with no income, can impact the world around me for the Lord. How can I be a catalyst of change in other’s lives when I can’t afford to build them a house or pay off their debt? Often times, I feel so restricted because of my lack of wealth. I get stuck in the mindset that if I am not financially well off, then I do not have much to offer those in 
need.
A few weeks ago, as one of our outreaches for Agape Meal, some friends and I took a dear old friend of ours out to lunch. Ms. Effy Lemons is an elderly lady in our community who I love dearly. She is sick and spends her days sitting in front of the TV watching the Price is Right. She can barely walk and she is on oxygen at all times. The tragic part of her situation is not her heath, as bad as it is, the true tragedy is that Effy’s family lives right next door to her, yet they never take care of her. Her house is filthy because she cannot clean it herself, and sometimes she goes without meals because she cannot feed herself, yet her family never lifts a finger. So my friends and I decided that we were going to adopt Ms. Effy and be the family that she needs. We took her out to eat a couple of times and got her the medications that she needs.
While we met her monetary needs, it was during those times that I realized we were also meeting a much deeper need of hers. Total cost of one meal with Effy?…$3.67. So while I may not have much to give, I have come to realize that by making just one small sacrifice in my daily routine, I can impact someone else’s life greatly. The best part is, there are Effy’s all around us. There is nothing specifically different about her situation verses hundreds of others around us. Often times, we just may never know the need because we are not out there getting our hands dirty. So I encourage you today, go out and find your Effy, and see what small things you can do to make a big difference.
~ Jennifer M.
