When I was a little girl, my family regularly visited my grandparents for Sunday dinners. My grandma Laura would already be at her front door as we stepped from our car, holding her arms out wide, gathering us four children close, laughing as she spoke. There was no doubt she eagerly desired our coming, we were wanted, valued, and loved. Grandma, now in her eighties, is still like that. She takes hold of my hand and gives me a tour of her garden – not letting go.
She is a model of unconditional love and has over the years eagerly welcomed even the estranged back into her circle of lavish affection. She is agile and eager to serve; she loves to help and delights in easing a load.
This image of my grandma’s open arms is what I envision a biblical women called the ‘wife of noble character’ to be like. She “opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” I used to believe that helping the poor meant financial assistance – some kind of cash donation or social system to keep them off the streets. I chuckle at my realization of the difference I now see. Extending our hands to the poor is much bigger than having an open checkbook – it begins with an open heart. If I give all I possess to the poor but have not love . . . its just empty fanfare. Why would I want to give like that?
The other day, I heard tragic news that our neighbor at the end of the street suffered a massive heart attack three weeks ago while golfing in
