Giving It All You've Got

It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth, nestled in the Appalachian mountains where the air is crisp and the water runs pure through the myriad of streams cutting across the landscape. It’s beautiful until you get close to the poverty in the region, poverty that has been pervasive since the 1700’s when the area was settled by the Scotch-Irish immigrants. Each individual has their own story, and each one is unique. Many are laced with pain, suffering, despair and interestingly enough, pride - too proud to ask for a handout, yet in some cases too hungry to not ask. Often their stories contain addictions; opioids are all too common. 

Clara on the farm with a newborn goat.

I went to the region recently to visit some friends, Dan and Marla. They were not there for the beauty or the climate; they were in the region to serve the poor. This was not something they imagined doing, even a few short years ago. Yet something happened, something strangely wonderful changed them, and I was anxious to discover what it was. 

Dan found himself back in this area on an extended stay with his mother, Clara, who was living in the western North Carolina mountains. Later, Dan made arrangements to move down there and live with Clara during a time of sabbatical. Although Clara lives a quiet life in a charming home nestled high in the mountains, Clara is not your typical 70-year-old. On most days her only companions are chickens and goats. She spends hours each day losing herself in her art. I had the privilege to visit with Clara one afternoon during my trip.  

This slower life in nature and the mountains was the perfect place for a sabbatical. Dan’s days consisted of bottle-feeding newborn goats in the morning and chasing wayward chickens throughout the afternoons. This place was rejuvenating. He frequented monasteries, where he deepened his Christian faith. It was a sacred place to go that filled a need for a deeper companionship with Christ. In time, Marla came into the picture. Dan loves to describe her as a gift that God brought into his life. Marla visited the same monasteries and was equally committed to finding a deep level of spirituality. Over time, this shared commitment led them into the sacrament of marriage. 

This is the backdrop to my mini-vacation, and how I found myself a few weeks ago in Avery County, NC - where Dan and Marla now reside in this small mountain town isolated from the rest of the world. Although it’s a desperately poor region, you won’t see people sleeping on park benches or asking for hand-outs. These are proud Appalachian Mountaineers.

Both Dan and Marla love to serve others, especially those who need an advocate. Passionate about the region and burdened with the systemic poverty and brokenness they saw, Dan and Marla committed to serving there. Jumping into serving is one thing, jumping “all in” is quite another. “All in” for them was an adventure they embraced, not a sacrifice they endured. 

I admire them, and in some ways I envy them. How do they do that? How do they sell significant possessions, caring less about their stuff so they could care more for others? They are too busy rolling up their sleeves and diving into the unpretentious work of stocking, storing, and distributing food within the Feeding Avery Families (FAF) pantry in the heart of Avery to worry about things that fill my every day. That is where I found Dan when I arrived and pulled into the parking lot; he was finishing packing up a car with groceries. He broke into a joyful grin when he saw me. The kind of joy someone possesses when they give all they are and all they have to others – joy in the center of God’s will.  

We grabbed lunch and made our way back to our meeting point with Dick Larson, the Director of FAF, who was not one for small talk; he jumped right into an overview of their operation. This is where I learned of the extreme wealth gap in this county. The abjectly poor and extremely wealthy live in close physical proximity, but are miles apart on the socioeconomic ladder. This community is made up of life-time residents, those who have returned to the area, and those who vacation here. People across the financial spectrum donate to those in need in Avery County, both physically and financially. 

I considered the wealthy sequestered in their second homes within the gated communities. I wondered how many of them were unaware of the poor who lived just outside their gates - people who, while hungry, would choose to starve before being a nuisance to others.

Dan and Marla were clearly not among those who walled themselves off -- quite the opposite. They intentionally lived alongside these folks, and got to know them as people -- not “poor” people, just people. I was inspired by their sacrifice, their austere lifestyle, and their service in support of a mission: To love God by loving their neighbors as he loves them (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They see themselves as blessed with the opportunity to love these beautiful mountaineers, building relationships with them to earn their way into hearts and lives. It’s a path seldom traveled because it requires a generosity of spirit, not just of money. Were they always this way? No, they would be the first to tell you, no! They have changed and are still being transformed daily. 

I considered how I have dropped cash into an offering plate, or written a check to a non-profit organization while thinking to myself, “This is enough.” In reality, I was just scratching the “I should really do something” itch. But then Dan and Marla come along and I’m awakened to a new kind of giving - the “everything you’ve got” kind, the disruptive kind, the kind that will keep you up at night pondering the “what-ifs” of your life. 

When I consider those behind the elaborate, guarded gates, I don’t condemn them, nor do I condone their behavior of isolation either. I begin to consider how I might have walled myself off from those who are truly hungry, those who need me and those whom I need even more. What might I learn from them if I were to allow the lines of poverty to blur?

This brings me back to Dan and Marla. They do not stop at the hunger for food. They seek to address the hunger for dignity, and companionship. The hunger for someone, somewhere to notice they exist and to listen to them, the hunger for someone to believe in and invest in them. I witnessed a ”give it all you’ve got” lifestyle and it  won’t soon be forgotten.

“The rich exist for the sake of the poor. The poor exist for the salvation of the rich.” – St John Chrysostom