The cupboards were bare, as was the bank account.
Swallowing her pride, a grandmother privately let her needs be known. The 50-year-old lady whose grown son and daughter-in-law moved back into her home with their children said that life circumstances have created a situation forcing the young family to move in with her.
"Due to circumstances beyond their control, they moved in," she said.
Working together, they're improving their situation, but just recently faced this set back. To avoid embarrasment to the young couple, she asked not to be publicly identified.
The family's need was posted on The TIMES Facebook page. Within minutes, people were responding.
"It's more than I ever expected," she said, choking back the tears of gratitude. "This has made it possible for us to move on."
She said she simply wanted to know about any food pantries in the community which were open. In addition to receiving that information, the lady received a box of food from First Baptist Church, a grocery shopping trip by the pastor of First Assembly of God, two Arvest gift cards from people in the community who didn't want to be identified.
"I'm happy to help, but I believe if you help with the left hand, your right hand shouldn't know about it. I walked a long ways in her shoes before I was blessed with the ones I wear now," one donor said, referring to Matthew 6:3-4: "But, when you do a charitble deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."
"This is a great little town. I'm proud to call it my home," he said.
"I came home feeling really good, like we'd made a difference," said Edwin Brewer who took the lady shopping. Brewer, pastor of First Assembly of God, chairman of the Pea Ridge Ministerial Alliance and a member of Bright Futures Advisory Board, took the lady shopping at a grocery store.
"She was very wise in her shopping. It was very obvious that she was buying things on sale and trying to make the money go as far as it could," he said, adding "At the end, I talked her into buying a package of Oreos."
He said she tried to use the gift cards first but he told her "no," to save those for another need.
"We've got a really caring community," Brewer said. "Of all the communities I've pastored in the past, this is the most giving, unselfish community I've seen."
Al Fowler, pastor of First Baptist Church, agreed. "The level of compassion and concern for their neighbors is incredible," Fowler said of Pea Ridge. "The community is very responsive.
"There are some unique things about a smaller community," he said.
"We're pretty convinced that it's the compassionate and biblical thing to do, not only to help people spiritually but physically.
"Jesus made it clear that as much as you do it unto the least of these, you've done it unto Him," Fowler said.
"It feels good to help someone who doesn't always have their hand out," Brewer said, adding that there have been occasions when he has been lied to and taken advantage of by people abusing the system of charity.
Community on 01/15/2014