An Awakened Realization

I stepped into the cool, shadowy recesses of the house, coming from the bright, sunny outdoors. Half-dried hair clutched the edges of my face, my swimsuit starting to lose its liquidy refreshment, as I crossed over to the counter.

Something caught my eye as I headed for the refridgerator, snagging me in its snare. Christian Aid Ministries Annual Report. Hmmm...maybe I'd get a missions' opportunity out of this one!

Picking it up, I peeled the cover back from above the pages and began to browse, casting a cursory glance at the photographed children staring back at me. The magazine was, in short, one of statistics- how many pencils were donated to where in Africa, how many tents to another place- and all were very sad to look at, being that I could never imagine not having school supplies or being in need of a tent. I had just come in from a family hangout and lunch next to our six-feet deep pool, by golly!

But then, something crossed my eyes that shook me. A little girl- an orphan, the text attested- lying across her nannies knee. Two months old, she was, and a mere five pounds. Ribs protruded from her drawn skin- nothing did healthy layers of infantile fat conceal. She appeared to be very weak...the magazine said she hadn't eaten in several days...her eyes were nearly gazed in delirium

By the grace of God, Christian Aid Ministries was able to come in and provide her with nourishing formula that she needs, but the fact that the youngster was doing better didn't heal the scar of her every accented feature- human life deteriorating while the rest of the world watches either helplessly or uncaring...and I can't comprehend the ways of our God. Why would He place a tiny, sweet little thing in the arms of those who have next to nothing, who from birth are exposed to famine, war, and disease, and place me in the arms of a family who can afford food, clothes, a television, iPods, health insurance, cars, a house, etc.? I know that for whatever reason my God of Justice is seeing it as just, but I just can't wrap my brain around it.

Have you ever thought of the starving people all over the world...as you're shoving a sandwich in your face? You get three meals a day (and sometimes several snacks in between), while families all over the world are being wiped out from famine.

Have you ever taken the time to thank God for good health and the excellent knowledge of medicine He has given our doctors? Thousands die worldwide due to numerous curable diseases.

And yet we feel...we're entitled to more??? The motto of our nation might as well be "Here's the ladder of life. Climb it. Get that Ferrari. Be the best at what you do. Get the most for as little work as you can. Marry a movie star. Run for president. Oh, and text us on your iPhone when you're term in office expires...we'll have that mansion out on the shores of California all moved-in by the time you arrive from D.C."

Well, do you know that all any of the poor people want is to have a healthy, safe family with food, a home, and a good job?

Christianity in America seems free, but nowhere on earth is Christianity exempt from the devil's attempts at reclaiming us or preventing God's Word from going further into the world. I believe that the success God has given Americans is also Satan's tool to turn our faces from the suffering and those hungry for Christ that surround us. So distant is their life-style, so unheard their cries for help amidst the noise cell-phones, stereos, and shallow, ungodly chatter that we forget they even exist.

Oh, woe to this self-centered nation! It's a wonder God doesn't strike us all down for everything we've done!

But since He has seen fit to leave us here, I want to ask you to pray. To pray that God would humble Christians worldwide, show us where our wrong lies, and bring us together as brethren under the Name of Christ. Pray that, both together and individually, we will each do our part to ensure that the hungry in Christ will be met with the bread of Truth, and that through our helping hands God's light would shine through in a dark world.