At a recent Convene nonprofit leader peer group meeting, one of our members shared a devotion from Mark 14:3–9, a familiar passage that carried a renewed urgency. In the story, a woman breaks open an alabaster jar of costly perfume and pours it out on Jesus. Some saw waste. Jesus saw devoted, sacrificial worship, as this woman endured the scolding and indignation of the onlookers. More than that, He declared that her act and her story would be remembered wherever the gospel is preached. Over 2,000 years later, we continue to tell her story.
That moment has stayed with me, not only because of the woman’s sacrifice, but because of what it reveals about how God works. What she offered in faith, Jesus multiplied in impact. The fragrance of her faith and worship has endured across generations.
It raises a question for all of us, especially as a community of faith. What will our offering be in this season?
When crisis comes without warning
At HOPE South Florida, a nonprofit devoted to restoring dignity and stability to families in crisis, we encounter this question every day as we serve families experiencing what we call situational or sudden homelessness. This form of homelessness is not chronic or long term. It happens quickly, often triggered by a crisis such as job loss, a medical emergency, domestic violence or an unexpected financial shock. These are families who were stable just weeks or months ago and now find themselves living in cars, motels or doubled up with others, desperately trying to stabilize their lives.
Situational homelessness is often invisible, but it is all around us in Broward County. And it demands a response.
The devotion challenged me with a simple but profound truth. What we do in our own strength and on our own terms will not last forever, but what we do for God will. We are called to serve now, in this season, with all that we have. Not later. Not when it is more convenient. Now, accepting the cost and focusing on the One we worship.
It is easy to hesitate and calculate the cost as if we are losing something, like those who questioned the woman’s act in Mark 14. But Jesus invites us into something deeper. He calls us to take the risk of faith, knowing that without faith it is impossible to please Him. He calls us to keep moving forward, to keep serving and to keep loving, even when it requires sacrifice.
Because He is the One who multiplies.
Faith meeting action
I think about a mother we recently served, a woman with six children, including a newborn, fleeing domestic violence. With nowhere safe to go, she found herself living in her car, doing everything she could to protect her children while navigating unimaginable uncertainty.
Through HOPE South Florida, we were able to come alongside her. We helped address her transportation challenges, secured permanent housing and provided move-in assistance. With stability restored, she was able to return to work and begin rebuilding her life. Now that the lives of seven people have been changed for the better, what will God do with their story?
That is what it looks like when faith meets action. That is what it looks like when God’s people operate in faith.
Just like the woman with the alabaster jar, what may seem like a simple act, meeting a need, offering support, or stepping in during a crisis, becomes something far greater in the hands of Jesus. It becomes a testimony. A lasting fragrance. We have seen this firsthand in the life of the woman we served and her six children.
Dignity is one of HOPE South Florida’s core values and is at the heart of everything we do. Every family we serve is made in the image of God and deserves to be treated with honor, compassion and respect. When we help a family move from crisis to stability, we are not just meeting a physical need — we are restoring dignity and affirming worth.
Last year alone, HOPE South Florida housed more than 275 individuals across Broward County, nearly 60% of whom were children, walking alongside them from crisis toward lasting stability.
The question before us
The need is clear. Nearly 600 families in Broward County are currently experiencing homelessness, underscoring the urgency of this moment. The question is not whether there is need. The question is how will we respond?
Will we pour out what we have in this season? Will we serve with urgency and faith? Will we trust that God can multiply our offering in ways we may never fully see this side of eternity?
My prayer is that, as a community of faith, we will answer that call boldly. That what we do today for the least of these in Broward County will carry an eternal impact. That our collective offering, our time, our resources and our compassion, will become a fragrance that lives on long after we are gone.
Because what is done for Christ is never wasted. And in His hands, it is never small.
HOPE South Florida exists to be a HOPE-filled community — keeping families together, offering compassionate care, and guiding them toward holistic life change. Under the leadership of President Joseph D. Kenner, we remain committed to ending family homelessness in Broward County by building communities that empower families to become resilient and independent. To learn more about HOPE South Florida, get involved, or support a family in crisis, visit hopesouthflorida.org.
For more Good News, read the GOOD NEWS May 2026 Issue at: https://digital.goodnewsfl.org/2026/may/