Al's Outreach Outtakes

I get to meet a lot of people through this ministry. I consider each encounter an opportunity to learn about that person and maybe their family. Whether the person is in a position to be able to provide assistance or is in a position to need assistance, I almost always ask “How did you get to where you are?” I feel knowing this type of information helps me to better understand how this person fits into the overall social fabric. We are, after all, very intertwined.
 
These conversations occasionally surprise me. Sometimes someone has a talent or treasure that I did not expect and I am always grateful to hear about. Sometimes a need is there that is greater than I could imagine and I struggle to understand how it could have gotten this way. Working with others in the community, it is a topic we discuss from time-to-time.
 
Recently one of these community partners sent me an article that I found very interesting. It talks about the science behind how stress impacts our cognitive processes, specifically decision making. While this interference happens to all of us from time-time, research suggests that “People in poverty ... have the added burden of ever-present stress” As a result of our brain doing what it is wired to do, the ability to clearly see a path out of the current situation that many could easily see is clouded and almost impossible to determine. What may be obvious steps that need to be taken by you or me may not even be seen by someone dealing with the day-to-day reality of poverty. Combine this with the effects that hunger has on the ability to think clearly and you begin to understand why it may be harder for someone to resolve even minor challenges that come their way.
 
If you would like to learn more, the article was published in The Atlantic and can be found here:
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/04/can-brain-science-pull-families-out-of-poverty/523479/
 
Please pray for those who are dealing with the stresses of poverty.