Be Present in Our Worry

Loving God,

Answering the door
I see worry in their faces
uncertainty in the way they stand
a large bundle of papers
documenting a life
clutched to the chest.

Walking up three flights
we talk about the weather
or the construction in the street
who they have come to see
their names.
I look at them and smile.

Be present with the men and women
caught in a tangle of financial woes over a house.
A lost job. Good decisions turned bad.
A need to refinance a loan that helped a grandson go to college.
A car repair. Reduced hours at work.
Poor decisions. A stubborn lender.
Or one who can't find the paperwork faxed three days ago.
Some have ways of living that are hard to leave behind
even to save a home.

In these difficult days,
be present with the housing counselors
who sort through the documents
the options and ways of living that need changing
and then talk with the lenders who can't always just change the loan.

I sense your grace is present in these meetings
because often I see or hear homeowners leave
more relaxed and cheerful
with the start of a plan
a way forward.
Even when a home will be lost.

I give thanks to you for this.

Amen.

Melonie Buller is a member of the Leadership Team for the Peace and Justice Support Network. She works for a nonprofit housing counseling agency in Columbus, Ohio with many people coming for help with foreclosure issues.