Izzy
On Friday I got to meet the newest addition to the Tate clan, Izzy. Izzy is a basset hound puppy with long floppy ears, sharp teeth, and brown eyes with which she has already mastered the most pitiful expressions. I wish all animals stayed little, but especially puppies. Izzy has already doubled in size in the month my parents have had her. I was excited to play with her since most of the pictures I receive are of her snoozing on dad’s lap. For her part, Izzy was excited to be outside, being placed on a long tether because she isn’t big enough for the electric fence collar yet. While we got to know each other, Izzy decided to try and gnaw on my kneecaps. She got a mouthful of puppy ears instead. Every time she tried to chew on me playfully, I stuck her ears in her mouth. I had to laugh because she would chew on them for a minute or two! Does Izzy understand that her sharp little teeth were painfully piercing my skin? Doubtful. Does Izzy understand her mouth daggers hurt her own ears? I say yes.
This makes me reflect on our human nature to deflect troubling or painful things unless they directly impact us. We tend to be dismissive because we couldn’t possibly have the bandwidth to address the overwhelming issues facing our society at every level. Just like Izzy, I may not consider the consequences of my own actions and experiences until I feel the pain personally. But in truth, we are all intrinsically connected. What hurts our brothers and sisters should stir us to compassion—it should break our hearts to see the suffering of others (which is why we so often turn a blind eye).
For example, I watched the price of gas jump $.40 in just a few days. While that knowledge was unpleasant for me, I filled up my tank anyway, because a few extra dollars won’t break my wallet…and I have places to be! What is harder to consider is the fact that the next family that pulls into the gas station may have to consider if they should pay for the gas, they need to get them to their job or hold off because they need to pay their (astronomical) electric bill. Or consider your neighbors who depend on Helping Hands once a week to put fresh food in their pantries. How many grandparents are helping raise their grandbabies and feeding them ultra-processed foods because that is all they can afford? And oh--by the way--they’re eating it too, even though it’s bad for their already high blood-pressure or diabetes, and they can’t afford insulin without insurance. I complained about my child having missed so many days of school due to illness that he had to stay after school to make up time…it is but an inconvenience for me. But for some children, whose guardians struggle to get them out of the house every day for a variety of reasons—that program is what keeps them from truancy charges and helps them pass their grade levels!
A quick google search reveals the following information:
Key details regarding homelessness in Rockbridge County include:
Approximately 640 people are homeless or a great risk of homelessness in the county.
Definition of Risk: The 640+ figure includes individuals at risk due to low income and high housing costs, with available housing units remaining stagnant between 2016 and 2021.
Regional Context: While local data is hard to track, the broader Shenandoah Valley saw a 16% increase in homelessness in the 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) count.
Local Poverty Rates: Poverty contributes to housing instability, with rates in 2023 estimated at 13% for Rockbridge County, 24.1% for Lexington, and 17.2% for Buena Vista.
Services: Mountainview Terrace Apartments is the only Section 8 housing complex in Lexington.
And just out of curiosity I checked the truancy demographics and from 2023-2024:
· Rockbridge County High School (RCHS): 31% of students were chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of school days.
· Maury River Middle School: Roughly 15% of students were considered chronically absent (approx. 45 out of 475 students).
· Elementary Schools: Rates varied, with Central Elementary at 18%, Mountain View and Natural Bridge under 15%, and Fairfield Elementary at 7%.
It’s easy to connect the dots when you see it printed plainly, isn’t it? Such statistics create a domino effect in our communities. If you live in Raphine, and you can’t afford to put gas in your car, then how are you supposed to get a job that pays a decent wage? There are only so many places to work that are walkable, right? If you don’t have a decent wage or job that covers your insurance, how are you supposed to take care of yourself or your family when people are ill? And if our children are struggling to get to school, or stay in school, or pay attention when their tummies are empty…how can we expect them to learn a trade or go to college? How ever will they get there? Thus the cycle continues.
I guess what I am saying is that it is really easy for me, with my private college degree, my multiple master’s degrees, my beautiful free for me house, and my SUV to venture into Lexington or Staunton and enjoy the quaint atmosphere of boutique shops and delicious restaurants, and not see the trouble that lies beyond them. Paul writes in Galatians that we are to “bear one another’s burdens.” He goes on to say, “7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.”
This is why our contributions to Kingsway and the Helping Hands food bank are critical. This is why our providing meals at Valley Mission are essential. This is why the Dolly Parton library exists to raise the literacy rate in young children! This is why Mission Next Door was founded. This is why Head Start exists. This is why RARA exists. This is why Rockbridge Area Transportation exists. This is why our children K-12 get free breakfast and lunches! THERE IS GREAT NEED and we are called upon to recognize it and provide for it.
If we refuse to do better once we know better, if we continue to ignore those who we are meant to walk and live beside, we fall short of the great commandment…and… until we recognize the ties that bind, seeing God in every face we encounter…I fear we are failing.
Where is God calling you to look and listen? In what ways is God challenging you to know better and do better? How is God teaching you something by making you bite your own ears?